Catch Me When I Fall
by Dulcedecorumest
Summary: Dean and Ruby form an unusual and inexplicable bond before his trip to Hell at the end of Season 3. Dean learns that the world is not black and white in more ways than one. Some violence, swearing and sex may ensue Rating may change!
1. Chapter 1

Title: **Catch Me When I Fall  
**

Fandom: Supernatural/ BTVS/ATS (it's not a crossover per se but I will borrow the mythology from M.E. and mention some characters)

Rating: T

Setting: Post Season 3 episode 9

Characters: Dean, Ruby & Sam

Pairings: Hint of Dean & Ruby

Word Count: 3,136

A/N: In my world Katie Cassidy's Ruby is the real Ruby and Genevieve Cortese's Ruby is a demon impersonating real Ruby, it's the only thing that makes sense!

Oh and I checked Katie Cassidy's eye-color on Wikipedia, its green. I think they look blue-green or basically do that thing that SMG's eyes do where depending on the color of clothing and lighting in a scene they look different. Or maybe it depends on what you've been smoking, I dunno.

* * *

Dean walked back up to the motel room door, his hand shaking violently as he reached for the doorknob. Ruby's words kept echoing in his head, "_**Agonies you can't even imagine… the answer is yes by the way, yes, the same thing is gonna happen to you…It might take centuries but sooner or later, Hell will burn away your humanity…you can count on it.**_"

Falling to his knees, the shaking wracked his whole body, overriding that stubborn streak that had gotten him through _and_ out of more jams than common sense or physical strength alone ever could.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't go back in there and face Sammy when the stoic façade Ruby had commented on was crumbling with every shudder of his body. Through the flimsy motel room door Dean heard Sam moving around and automatically he was back on his feet.

With an urgency borne of desperation, Dean strode away from the room at the Conquistador Motel that currently housed all of his biggest hopes and fears in the 6ft 4' body of his baby brother.

-----------xx--------xx--------

The bar he found was a good thirty minutes walk from the Conquistador, it was smoky and played mullet rock, it looked like a hundred other bars he had been in but oddly he knew that he would remember the place centuries after Hell had burned all the humanity out of him. Dean fought the chill that thought brought.

Absently his palms stroked the bar; the scarred, stained and pitted wooden surface felt unusually real under his calloused fingertips while Metallica's '_Nothing Else Matters_' blasted out of the surprisingly expensive sound system. Dean slammed back his third double shot in as many minutes and savored the bitter kick of the alcohol as it swirled in his mouth and rushed past his tongue. He smiled inwardly; the burning trail it blazed down his gullet was comfortingly familiar in a world where nothing made sense anymore.

All these years he had never questioned what made a demon a demon, or what motivated them to be evil. He had always looked at them as a bunch of loony body-snatching creatures that belonged to a crazy cult where they worshiped the Devil just to be contrary. Now he had to face the fact that they _all_ were people once, flesh and blood human like him that had made mistakes. Like he had… it just didn't seem fair. His whole life he had fought demons, fought evil in whatever form it took and his reward was to join that very same club and become just like the things he had spent his life hunting. His heart rate accelerated and he felt his palms start to sweat.

Dean gestured for the bar-tender to top up all three of his shot glasses. The grey haired David Carradine look-alike raised an eyebrow but silently obliged him. Dean nodded his thanks and reaching in his pocket, tossed a hundred dollar bill on the counter then swivelled round on the bar-stool so he could people-watch. It was such a sentimental Sammy thing to do but now that he knew a little more about what awaited him in the afterlife he decided it was about time he stopped and smelled the roses.

There was a pool table and a Jukebox; there were also half a dozen tables and two booths. In total Dean counted 16 people, two guys were playing pool and there was what he assumed was a hooker and a john playing tonsil hockey in the darkest lit booth. He winced inwardly when he watched the hooker lift the john's wallet and hand it to an oily Joe Pesci look-alike who could only be her pimp. Turning back round to face his drinks he held up his shot glass to an imaginary friend and proceeded to down it. His fingers reached out for the second glass when he noticed his cell phone flashing, looking down at the display he saw Sammy's name. Sighing inwardly he picked it up and answered.

"Dean! Where the Hell are you, I've been calling you for the last _hour_!"

'Nice word choice there, but I'm not in Hell yet Sammy boy and I doubt Sprint's got coverage in the pit.' He thought darkly.

"Sorry, it was on silent… I'm at a _bar_ Sammy," Dean replied with a trademark smirk in his voice.

Sam let out a frustrated sigh on the other end, "I thought something had happened to you."

Dean rolled his eyes then remembered his new decision to appreciate the smaller things, like the fact that he had a little brother that cared about his well-being.

"Well _something_ might happen to me, if you stop calling me!"

"Dean-"

"Sorry 'bout the silence kiddo… I'll be back soon, now I gotta go 'cause there's a hot girl giving me _the eyes_ also known as big hooters which are staring right at me Sammy."

"_Dean_!"

"_The eyes_, Sammy! The eyes!"

"Dean _wait_-" Sam started to protest but Dean had already hung up.

Slipping his phone into his left pocket Dean downed the remaining two shots then rose stiffly from the stool. His muscles were protesting from his earlier encounter with a wall and a demon wielding that invisible rack treatment the ones they had been fighting lately seemed so skilled at using. His bladder was pressing down on him in an uncomfortably full way, damn if that ass-tasting liquid Ruby had given him wasn't making him pee like an old man. Bitch probably did it on purpose!

------xx--------xxx------

Ruby strode into the smoky bar with her usual confidence; it was her second time visiting the place tonight. The first time she had been here, was after she had had to save the Winchester boys and she had finished cleaning up the mess they had made in the witch's house. Rubbing the spot on her forehead where her former demon mistress Catriona had clubbed her with the fire-iron absently she tried to forget the humiliation she had felt as the demon spilled her most embarrassing secrets.

Sitting down at the bar she ordered a bottle of Jameson whisky. The bartender smiled at her in greeting and slid the bottle over to her. Ruby reached into her back jean pocket and threw a hundred dollar bill on the bar. She sniffed the air and groaned inwardly, she swore she could smell Dean Winchester's soul on her. A cursory look around told her it was probably in her head, she had showered after her exchange with Dean in the Conquistador Motel parking lot. She had also changed her clothes, donning black jeans and a black turtleneck under her trademark leather jacket. Raising her hands to her face she sniffed them and swore his scent was radiating from her palms. Ruby scowled, she had come here to forget about the disturbing older Winchester brother and his powerful but conflicted little brother. She had also come here to forget about Catriona, their complicated past together and of course, her millennium-long stint in Hell.

Picking up her shot glass and whisky bottle, Ruby scanned the room and settled on the booth in the darkest corner. A hooker and her john got up to leave making Ruby sigh in relief; she really was not in the mood for another altercation tonight. Sitting with her back to the bar, but the entrance still in her periphery, Ruby uncapped the Jameson and poured herself a healthy three fingers. She raised her glass to Catriona and all her other compatriots in Hell then downed it. The next three fingers she poured she toasted the Winchester brothers then downed that too.

--------xx--------

Dean reclaimed his stool at the bar and ordered a beer; his head was now fuzzy enough to drown Ruby's voice from ricocheting against all the walls he had built to keep his fears at bay. He rubbed his hands on the bar top and mused how much it resembled him. It may have splinters sticking out here and there, cigarette burns, undecipherable stains and scars but it was sturdy, dependable and kind of smooth to the touch.

Wow, he was slipping in his old age since when did a few double shots make him this whimsical drunk? The bartender did something all experienced bartenders did; reading Dean's mind he opened a bag of peanuts he poured them into a clean bowl and set them next to the ice cold beer. The younger man beamed with pleasure and picking up the bowl and the beer, he rose from the stool, deciding to relax in a booth before he went back to join Sammy for yet another worry-filled sleepless night.

A short guy with a barrel chest was talking to someone in the booth the hooker had been in before Dean went to the men's room. Dean slowed down a little to hear the exchange, curiosity piqued as to what kind of female that wasn't turning tricks would be foolish enough to sit in the booth on her own in a bar like this at a time like this. He couldn't see her from where he was standing.

"Listen Barbie, all's I'm saying is, you're too pretty to be drinking a whole bottle of whisky on your lonesome, when Big Al, that's me… would be more than happy to keep you company."

Ruby clenched her jaw, and glared at the unwelcome suitor, "Big Al… that's ironic. Unless you're from Midgetville?"

Dean felt blades of fear skitter down his spine, the woman sounded familiar, and not in the good, hey I am so happy to see you here, kind of way.

"Now ain't no need for you to get testy cutie-"

"Look Big Al… I've got a rap sheet the size of Texas, I just got out of the slammer today and I just wanna have a drink on my own. Go away, please." Ruby snapped impatiently.

Her lie only served to interest him more and Big Al slid into the booth next to Ruby.

"Female ex-cons are hot and pretty freaky, fresh outta the clinker and all. What say you we blow this joint and I remind you why a stick-shift is better than manual Convict Barbie?"

Before Ruby could wrap her hand around his throat, Big Al was bodily lifted out of the booth by, Dean! What the Hell was he doing here?!

"Sorry Big Al, but no means no and as for you Ruby its hours past your curfew!" Dean exclaimed cheerfully as he tossed the short man out of his way and slid onto the bench across from Ruby.

"Who the fuck are you?" Big Al asked angrily.

Dean didn't even bother taking his eyes off Ruby, "Her parole officer."

Big Al stared at Dean in shock and was about to say something when Ruby turned to him, her eyes went black and the lights and music in the bar flickered. With a startled gasp Big Al stumbled away from the booth and beat a hasty retreat out of the bar. Dean chuckled and turned to face Ruby.

"Now look what you did, you drove away the only friend you have. Didn't your mother ever teach you to play nice?"

Eyes back to blue-green Ruby glared at him mutely.

"So what's this? You're not satisfied with stalking my brother you gotta stalk me too now?"

"Funny I was about to ask you if you were stalking me but you didn't see you come in when Big Al started hitting on me so I'm guessing you were taking a leak when I got here."

Dean frowned, all traces of humor gone, "Speaking of piss, I seem to be doing that a whole lot more often since you poured that potion down my throat."

Ruby rolled her eyes, "Easy Shortbus, you think you'd be magically cured with no side effects?"

"Funny how you didn't mention that when you _weren't _giving me a choice to drink it."

Ruby poured herself a drink and slammed the bottle on the table.

"What? You afraid my little potion'll make you check out early?"

Dean clenched his jaw and his fists, "No just reminding myself and you…that I know demons lie, it's not your fault I guess, comes with territory."

Ruby downed her drink and slid the whisky tumbler across the table; Dean caught it without taking his eyes off her.

"Well I didn't lie about Hell… and as for the potion, relax. Some of the ingredients act as a diuretic, I'll give Sam the recipe and he can tell you all about them if it makes you feel better."

Dean's lips stretched in a brittle smile, "Much obliged Barbie... and as for the Hell thing, I guess I'll find out soon enough."

He raised the glass in a mocking toast to her then downed its contents. Sliding it back over to Ruby, she returned the insincere smile as she poured herself another drink, the bottle was almost empty.

"It's been a rough night Jackass shut up and drink or leave me alone, I'm not in the mood."

"Oh baby, I thought demons were always in the mood." She shoved the glass at him and he gave her a sardonic lift of his brow.

"Well I'm not most demons."

Dean poured himself a shot and chuckled dryly, "I'm beginning to get that."

Ruby turned and gestured for the bartender to bring her another bottle of Jameson and two beers.

The bartender set their new bottle of whisky on the table and took away the empty one, he also set the beers down and grinned his thanks as Ruby handed him another hundred dollar bill.

Dean fought the urge to show her he was impressed. She gave him a half smile and shrugged.

Raising her beer bottle she tipped in his direction, "Bottoms up."

Wordlessly he raised his bottle and tipped it at her before drinking down half its contents in one long swallow.

Creedence Clearwater Revival's, '_House of the Rising Sun_' filtered through the expensive sound system as the hunter and the demon silently opened the new bottle of Jameson.

------xx--------xx------

"So-"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Ruby cut him off sharply.

They were the last people in the bar and the bartender was piling chairs on table-tops signalling the end of their silent sojourn in the booth.

Dean smiled at her drunkenly, "How'd you know what I was going to ask? Don't tell me mind-reading is one of your talents." He said 'talents' like it was an insult.

"Please, you're not exactly an enigma by _any_ stretch of the imagination." Ruby snorted.

"Wow, not even half a bottle of Jameson can mellow _you_ out, you're a cold hard-"

"If you say the word bitch again I'll knock you flat on your ass."

"Again as in ever again or just tonight?" Dean asked with a cocky grin.

Ruby's eyes shot daggers.

He held up his hands in mock surrender, "Alright."

Ruby's jaw set stubbornly and she looked away. She did not find his sheepish grin endearing!

The intense heat of his gaze on her made her look back at him despite her valiant efforts not to. Her vision was a little blurry from the alcohol, but she could swear he looked softer, younger and more relaxed around her now. Ruby felt emotions she had done her best to smother since she'd gone to Hell all those centuries ago stir dangerously inside her.

With a sigh she answered the question Dean had been about to ask, "Her name was Catriona, when I sold my soul to her I thought she was Morrigan, a Celtic Goddess."

After a long expectant pause she continued, "And she was from Ireland… like me… hence the Jameson."

Dean's bleary eyes lit up, he opened his mouth to say something but Ruby held her hand up and slid out of the booth.

"I'm not telling you my real name, it doesn't matter anymore…I've gotta visit the little girl's room and then we've gotta _go_."

Without giving him a chance to respond, she sashayed off to the toilets. Dean watched her hips swing in the black jeans she was wearing then gave himself a mental bitch-slap. The body may be human but the person wearing it wasn't. Ruby was evil and a demon. That used to be human. Like him. Dean started to feel sick. Lurching unsteadily to his feet, Dean went to use the men's room. When he walked out he noticed the door to the women's toilets was ajar and both stalls were empty.

Walking back into the bar, Ruby was nowhere in sight but Sam was, and his expression was a combination of relief and irritation. Dean smiled at the sight of his little brother, walking up to the taller man and clapping him behind the back.

"You're too late for the party Sammy, bar's closed!"

Sam gritted his teeth, "I know Dean, now come on let's get back to the motel."

Dean beamed at the bartender and pointed at Sam, "This is my little brother Sammy, its short for _Samantha_."

Sam made a sound in the back of his throat as he half dragged half propelled Dean out the door.

"Sorry about that Joe and _thank you_." Sam said over his shoulder.

"Who's Joe?" Dean asked as Sam led him to the Impala.

"The bartender Dean, you spend half the night in his bar and you don't bother to find out his name?"

Dean frowned at Sam's impatient tone, "No, I wasn't in the mood for conversation."

Sam pushed Dean into the passenger seat and slammed the door before walking round to the driver's side.

"Yeah you were in the mood for girls as usual… Joe says the blonde you were with skipped out on you while you were taking a leak though, so the ole Dean Charm isn't what it used to be huh?"

Dean frowned at the dashboard as Sam started the car and pulled away from the curb. He had momentarily forgotten about Ruby and her promises of the pain and evisceration waiting for him on his one-way, non-changeable and non-refundable trip to Hell. He had also forgotten about how for two mostly _silent_ hours tonight, in a dark booth of Joe's smoky bar, Dean Winchester had felt closer to her than to anyone else on Earth.

The need to tell Sam what he had learned bubbled up inside him but one look at his brother's profile changed Dean's mind. The kid had enough on his mind after what they had gone through at the witch's house. Dean could keep Ruby's information to himself for a little longer. After all, future transformation into demon or not, he was still Sammy's big brother. And for now, still human.

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It's my first **SPN** fic so please don't flame, constructive criticism is more than welcome though!

This fic was inspired by my recent re-watch of Season 3. To me, Katie Cassidy's Ruby was way more interesting than Genevieve Cortese's. It's funny how I just did not like her Ruby whereas Season 3 Ruby was cool for me. Oh and let's face it KC and JA had amazing chemistry in whatever scene they did together.

If y'all think this was okay, I can continue this. It won't be long but I think I can write a Ffew more chapters equal in length. And I would love the services of a critical but nurturing BETA! *hint hint*


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** **Catch Me When I Fall  
**

**Fandom:** Supernatural/ BTVS/ATS (it's not a crossover _per se_ but I will borrow the mythology from Mutant Enemy and mention some characters)

**Rating:** T

**Setting:** Post Season 3 episode 10

**Characters:** Dean, Ruby & Sam

**Pairings:** Hint of Dean & Ruby

**Word Count:** 1,474

**A/N:** _In my world Katie Cassidy's Ruby is the real Ruby and Genevieve Cortese's Ruby is a demon impersonating real Ruby, it's the only thing that makes sense!_

_Oh and I checked Katie Cassidy's eye-color on Wikipedia, its green. I think they look blue-green or basically do that thing that SMG's eyes do where depending on the color of clothing and lighting in a scene they look different. Or maybe it depends on what you've been smoking, I dunno._

* * *

**CHAPTER 2**

Dean sat on Bobby's porch and stared blindly at the stars, he did not ever want to think about what he'd seen while on the African dream-root again. Just seeing himself with black eyes the one time made his skin crawl with remembered revulsion. He was already booked for an eternity of torture so why did life have to keep kicking him when he was already down and out for the count?

A spicy scent of roses permeated the air and a split-second later Ruby sat down next to him startling Dean out of his morose thoughts. She silently handed him an ice cold beer and twisted the cap off her own.

"Plenty of time for self-flagellation and cold debilitating fear that courses through your blood like Grade A heroin Hellboy."

Dean pinned her with an icy green stare that could have turned her into stone. Ruby smirked and took a deep swallow of her beer.

"Sam's inside."

"What's your point?"

"Well since you've appointed yourself his personal demon bodyguard shouldn't you go and guard him?" Dean ground out.

Ruby shrugged, "Him and your ole man Bobby are poring over some books and as far as spectator sports go… it's up there with cricket, watching paint dry and grass grow."

Dean couldn't help the appreciative smirk her comment elicited, with a shrug he chugged the beer she had given him. Pulling the bottle away from his lips Dean studied the label impressed by how good it tasted. _Molson Canadian Ice_. Dean slid Ruby an appraising look.

"You were in Hell for what 700 years and here you are drinking beer and saving our butts, and you were an evil demon-worshiping witch when you were human. So there's hope for me right," he spoke with false cheer.

Ruby frowned into the murky darkness and turned to face him, "700 years on Earth was thousands of years in Hell, and I wasn't evil… back then"

Dean scowled as her comment unearthed a dozen other questions he now wanted to ask but didn't want to know the answers to. Ruby watched him closely for a few seconds then averted her gaze. She had come to talk to him about Sam and bring his attention to the fact that Sam had somehow managed to overpower Jeremy while under the effects of the dream-root.

Now that she was sitting next to him; fear, pain and confusion radiating off him in waves, she couldn't bring herself to upset his fragile but tenacious hold on his self-control any further tonight.

"Back when?" Dean asked finally, the words came out garbled as if they were being physically wrenched out of him.

Ruby's jaw clenched, "Back when I was human."

Dean snorted derisively, "Yeah cause witches are good people."

Ruby threw him a disgusted look and stood up, dusting the seat of her jeans in sharp jerky movements.

"You wanna sit here and wallow in self-pity then fine, I'll leave you to it. But do me a favor? Don't rub off your off-center vibes on Sam, it'll make it that much harder to get him ready and in case you haven't noticed time _isn't_ on our side."

Dean jumped to his feet and stepped into her personal space, "Sorry Sweetheart but I'm all out of favors for you and there is no 'our' side. There's you and then there's me and Sam. In fact, why don't you just stay away from Sam. He's not your responsibility he's mine."

Ruby's lips twisted in a hollow smile, "Not for much longer he isn't."

Dean's fist smashed into her face before he had even thought about what he was doing. Ruby's head snapped back from the impact of the blow and she brought a hand up to wipe the blood from her split lip. Shaking her hair out of her eyes she gave him a sadistic grin.

"Now there's the Dean I know and hate."

He opened his mouth to retort but the words never got out as Ruby's hands grabbed the lapels of his army jacket and flung him off the porch. He landed on the coarse grass with a thud. Ruby jumped off the porch and landed on him, straddling his torso she pulled him up by the lapels.

"Get this through your head, I don't _care_ about you, I care about Sam. He needs to have his head in the game and like the dutiful little brother that he is, he can't do that if he's worried about you."

"Rot in pieces Hell Bitch."

"You first."

Dean twisted his body and reversed their positions, pinning Ruby down; he smirked coldly at her, green eyes blazing with fury. Her eyes turned black, sending Dean free-wheeling through the memories of the confrontation he had with his demon self during the African-root trip.

The helpless rage and fear he had felt in the dream coalesced in the pit of his stomach and his muscles tensed in preparation to deliver a walloping to the demon he _could_ physically vent his frustrations on.

Ruby looked into Dean's eyes and sensed the rage and fear radiating from him. As she watched him wrestle for control she felt her own anger ebb to be replaced by wary sympathy she was careful not to show outwardly.

"Go ahead." She said on a shaky expulsion of air.

Dean's upper lip curled in contempt, "You'd love that wouldn't you? Me sinking to your level before the first hell-hound's even sunk a tooth in me."

He searched her eyes and saw nothing but her usual slightly pissed off and worldly expression.

"Well not a chance Barbie Hell Bitch, not on this side of Hell anyway. Whatever happens to me in the pit happens but until then I _choose_ to be who I have always been… one of the good guys."

His face was so close to hers that another two inches and they would be kissing. Ruby irritably wondered why she had thought that. She couldn't stand this bigoted asshole. When she felt something warm and heavy pressing into her belly her eyes turned black, the sonofabitch was getting aroused! From the way he was looking at her, Ruby didn't think his big brain had caught up with what his little brain was thinking. That made her even angrier, black eyes silently glaring back at him.

They were both breathing heavily, white puffs of air co-mingling in the chilly night. Dean's fists clenched convulsively as he fought the urge to beat the crap out of the attractive blonde. How dare this unclean thing wear some poor woman's body like this? Dean felt his loins get heavy, blood rushing to the organ with a mind of its own. Oh no was he _attracted_ to her!?

"Dean! I thought he was out on the porch Bobby?" Sam's voice was coming from the other side of the house.

Dean looked down into Ruby's eyes; they were blue-green again.

"Are you going to get off anytime soon?" Ruby asked in a bored voice.

Dean grabbed her chin and pressed her head back into the damp grass, "Do us both a favor Barbie… stay away from me."

He punctuated the last word with a couple of patronising mock slaps to her left cheek. Ruby growled low in her throat as Dean chuckled mirthlessly, getting to his feet and pulling her up with him in one fluid motion. Ruby shoved his hands away from her coat lapels and without another word walked away.

When Sam appeared on the porch he gave Dean a measuring look.

"Are you laughing to yourself?"

Dean looked at the spot where Ruby had just been standing and noticed she had vanished, good riddance! With a shrug and jaunty smile he brushed the dirt off his jeans as he walked up the porch steps.

"Dude, you're a total lightweight, one little dream acid hit and you're still tripping. I wasn't laughing to myself."

Sam frowned, "Really, I thought I heard-"

Dean clapped a hand around Sam's shoulders and steered his brother back into the house, "Okay Samantha that settles it, we've gotta have ourselves a good ole stoner weekend session before I check out."

"Dean-"

"Not another word Sammy boy, I can't go away worrying that a tiny hit of acid will disorient you this much. If the bad guys find out they'll just take you out in your sleep."

From the shadows Ruby watched the door shut firmly behind Dean and Sam. Her chest burned with an emotion Ruby had had no reason to feel for centuries; with a scowl she retreated further into the shadows and walked away from Bobby Singer's home. She wasn't one to hedge her bets but she was pretty sure she had felt lust and jealousy in connection with Dean Winchester. That was definitely not part of the plan!

---------xxx---------

A/N: So I guess this is the _**Catch Me When I Fall**_ Series. Let me know what y'all think.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** **Catch Me When I Fall (3/?)**

**Fandom:** Supernatural/BTVS/ATS (it's not a crossover _per se_ but I will borrow the mythology from M.E. and mention some characters)

**Rating:** M – changed to be on the safe side!

**Setting:** Post Season 3 episode 11

**Characters:** Dean, Ruby & Sam

**Pairings:** Dean & Ruby

**Spoilers:** Mention of characters from Season 4 of **SPN**

**Word Count:** 3,954

A/N:_ Thank you for the r 'n' r, adding my story to alerts, etc. __In my world Katie Cassidy's Ruby is the real Ruby and Genevieve Cortese's Ruby is a demon impersonating real Ruby, it's the only thing that makes sense!_

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Ruby sat in the darkest corner of the seediest bar she could find, contemplatively nursing her vodka and coke. She had had a good couple of days, tracking down some demons closer to Lilith and dispatching them as fast as she could stick a blade in their meat-suits. It had been relatively easy with the first three but the last demon had put up a Hell of a fight. Olaf! He had always been a tough nut to crack, but she had done it! She had a couple of cracked ribs and her left arm had been dislocated but she had sent him into the ether or wherever the souls of the damned went when they became deader than they already were.

It was getting easier after Catriona. She took a sip of her drink, letting the coke bubbles fizz in her mouth before swallowing. The only demon in all of Hell that had had the power to turn her into a cowering mass of Jell-O was Catriona. It was standard psychology but it didn't lessen the demon-witch's hold on her. Or it hadn't until that day in Massachusetts. Now Ruby knew that when the time came for her to face any of the other frenemies she had made in the Pit again she would destroy them and she had Dean Winchester to thank for that. How ironic.

A pair of jean clad legs filled Ruby's vision and she looked up with a bright smile, she was in a good mood tonight, if the guy was attractive she would take him back to her motel. Her smile froze as she stared into Dean Winchester's piercing hazel green eyes.

"La Femme Ruby… why is that whenever I least want to bump into you, which is always… you appear?"

"In case you bumped your _head_ and killed what little brain cells you do have, I was here first and you approached me Jackass."

Dean's lips stretched in a smile that did not reach his eyes. Slapping her boot clad feet off the chair she had propped them up on, he sat down, setting his beer on the table with a passive aggressive thud. Ruby's eyes hardened as she sat up straight in her chair.

"Of all the gin-joints and shady bars in the great State of Illinois you had to walk into mine Winchester."

Dean took a big sip of his beer then cradled the bottle close to his chest as he studied Ruby.

"Nice shiner, your boyfriend give it to you?"

Ruby's hand drifted up to her right eye and she tentatively fingered the bruise that she had not noticed was quietly blossoming while she sat in the bar. Olaf always did have a mean left hook, she thought with a shrug. A self-satisfied grin broke out on her face.

"Yeah he did actually."

Dean raked her form and noticed she was favoring her left arm, he also noticed that her chest was moving a little irregularly when she breathed. Eyes drifting back to her face he saw that her lip was split, and was that blood in her hairline?

"What did you do to him?"

Ruby downed the rest of her vodka coke and rolled her eyes, "I gave him an erotic massage… with my knife."

Dean leaned forward and grabbed her left arm, Ruby moaned in pain and he felt the looseness caused by her dislocated shoulder. Looking back into her eyes he frowned.

"Who was he?"

Ruby cursed the human body she was in as tears of pain welled up in her eyes. It was an involuntary reflex but it made her look weak and vulnerable. Something she had sworn to herself she would never let herself be after the showdown with Catriona a week and a half ago.

"Let go you sonofabitch!" She hissed through clenched teeth.

Dean pulled her closer, forcing her upper body to hang above the rickety table awkwardly.

He clenched his teeth too, "Not until you tell me what I want to know, sweetheart."

"Depends how much you really want to know, are you asking me about the demon I killed or the poor meat-suit he was wearing?"

"Start with the demon."

"His name was Olaf, he's, well _was_ older and more powerful than Catriona. Meat-suit was a camper, got his body snatched in the woods near the Devil's Gate you and your brother opened."

Dean's eyes flashed with guilt, instinctively he quashed the feeling with anger; he pulled Ruby a little closer.

"What was he doing here?"

He wasn't in Illinois for the Red Sox I can promise you that." Ruby ground out, the tears of pain started to leak down her face.

Dean released her arm and she fell back in her seat, angrily brushing away the moisture trickling out of her eyes with her right hand.

"Not a Red Sox fan, imagine that," Dean mused sarcastically.

Ruby's eyes flashed from black to blue-green to black again, the electricity in the bar flickering with each change. Dean glared at her in warning. Her eyes changed to blue-green and stayed that way.

"More of an ice hockey fan, he _loved_ the Vancouver Canucks."

Dean smirked, "A demon into ice hockey…ironic."

Ruby stood up, keeping the table between them she started to walk backwards, "Really, you figured that out all by yourself?"

Eyes warily watching him she moved a little faster, "Oh look at the time! My coach's about to turn into a pumpkin… _not_ a pleasure as always Hellboy."

Dean watched her melt into the crowded room then got up to follow her.

-----xxx----

Pushing the back door open, Ruby stumbled into the alley behind the bar, pressing her face against the grimy wall. Her arm was doing a good impression of reminding her how it felt to be on Alastair's shit list back in Hell. With a frustrated groan she walked up to the dumpster and positioned her shoulder against the metal disposal. Right palm flat against the grimy brick face, Ruby clenched her teeth together and pushed her shoulder into the dumpster as hard as she could. The dumpster rolled sideways and Ruby punched the wall with her good hand as fresh lacerations ripped through her left side.

"Fuck!"

A large hand clamped around her right arm and Dean Winchester swung her around to face him. Ruby sneered at the combination of sympathy and respect in his eyes.

"Don't just stare at me, help me or better yet, _fuck off_!"

Dean shook his head, typical!

Wordlessly, he steadied his left hand on her right shoulder, gripped her left arm and with a horrible sounding wrench, popped her shoulder back in place. Ruby roared in pain, the alley lights flickering on and off then exploding as the electricity in a two-block radius went out. Shouts of protest filtered out of the bar.

Looking up at the sky Dean quietly gave thanks that it was a full moon and then looked back at Ruby who was leaning against the wall, blue-green eyes shooting him daggers.

"You're welcome," he snapped.

Pushing herself off the wall she started to walk away, without thinking, Dean followed her. Ruby rolled her eyes and prayed for strength, she just needed to get back to her motel room without stumbling or falling. The power outage she had caused had drained her already depleted resources. With a grim set to her shoulders she ignored the hunter trailing her.

--------xxx--------

Dean knew that Ruby could hear him behind her but seeing as she was not acknowledging his presence he decided to keep his distance. He wondered who this Olaf was and more importantly what he wanted. If Ruby had killed him did that mean that she was hunting down her own kind in order to help them? Or just settling an old score? It was so confusing! He yearned for the days when a demon was a demon, which meant evil, and humans were humans. Black was black and white was white. Now everything had been turned upside down, he was going to go to Hell, all good deeds and lives saved be damned and Sam was going to be left alone with a demon on his shoulder. Yellow Eyes' question came back to haunt him, "**_Are you sure that what you brought back is the same Sam?_**"

Ruby groped in her back pocket for the key to her motel room. Dean observed that she favored motels too, which answered the question of where she stayed when she wasn't busy interfering in their lives. He wondered if Sam knew that Ruby was in town.

Before the door could slam shut, Dean's foot wedged in the door and he stepped in the room. Ruby, still not turning around rolled her eyes as she shrugged her jacket off; dropping it on the double bed she looked at Dean over her right shoulder.

"I'm going to get cleaned up. Is it too much to hope for that you'll be gone when I come out?"

Dean shrugged his own jacket off and sat down on the bed. Stretching his booted feet on the coverlet he picked up the remote and turned on the television. Ruby sighed as she stalked into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Dean chuckled to himself, genuinely amused by her fit of pique.

He settled on a porn channel, turning the volume up when he heard the shower running.

----------xx-------xx--------

Ruby stepped out of the bathroom and let out the fragrant scent of Herbal Essences shampoo. The scented steam filtered into the motel room too as Ruby sat at the little table facing the bed. She looked oddly vulnerable without any makeup; the blue-black eye was the brightest thing on her face. A few faint bruises had also made an appearance and for the first time Dean noticed the demon had possessed a young woman no older than 21. His nose twitched in appreciation of the delicious smell wafting in from the bathroom as he studied her warily. She was wearing a thick white terry bathrobe; it had the New York Plaza's gold initials embroidered on the breast pocket. He raised an eyebrow in silent question.

"Hell's not big on perfume, or luxuriant scented bath soap or shampoo or showers for that matter." Ruby said in way of explanation.

Dean shrugged mentally, it made sense.

"So yeah, if I were you I would enjoy bathing and all the wonderful perfumes and toiletries on Earth as much as possible… and as for_ that_, there are orgies and all kinds of perversions for you to fuck your heart out." Ruby added dryly as she gestured to the porn Dean was still watching.

He turned off the television with a disgusted look on his face; something told him the whole point of the orgies in Hell was not pleasure.

"You went through my stuff of course."

"Saw your medieval flask of the ass-tasting life saving potion, a tin jar of crap I couldn't open from God knows what century, empty leather pouches, rock salt which was a total surprise… but I didn't find your knife or any spell books." Dean said cheerfully.

Ruby smirked, pulling open her robe she patted her naked right thigh where the mystical blade was strapped securely.

"Don't need a spell book, I was there before half the stuff you guys use was even written down."

Dean forced his eyes back up to her face and brutally told himself he was not attracted to a demon. The body it was inhabiting was attractive that was all. He felt a stab of irritation for his own body's traitorous reaction to the sight of naked supple female flesh.

"How convenient for you."

"I think so, half the reason you boys have been so good at hunting is because some idiots broke with tradition and started writing shit down. Besides, and I don't mean to brag… I was a damn powerful witch in my day."

She went to the over-sized leather satchel bag she traveled with and unearthed a jar of Body Shop Strawberry Body Butter. Shrugging off the bathrobe, Ruby opened the jar and started to moisturise her skin. Dean's eyes widened in horrified shock as he took in her naked body. Other than the knife strapped to her thigh, she did not have anything on. Raising his eyes to her face Dean didn't know whether to be thankful or insulted that she was ignoring him, focusing on what she was doing.

Letting his eyes drift back over her body, Dean took in the paintball splatter pattern of blue-black and purple bruises on her ribs, the knife wound just under her collarbone as well as the ugly looking diagonal scar across her stomach. It looked a few weeks old. He stared at her neat dark brown triangle shaped bikini wax and looking back at her face, realized he would never figure her out.

Ruby pulled on a pair of black lace girl briefs then stepped into grey sweatpants. Snapping on a black sports bra, she unscrewed the top off a roll-on deodorant. Slicking it on her underarms she proceeded to spray what Dean guessed to be half a bottle of perfume on her skin. It smelt of roses, cloves and some other spice he could not name. He had to admit it smelt good and sexy.

Turning to face him, Ruby pulled out a small ancient looking tin jar of ointment and tossed it to him.

"Look lively pervert!"

Dean stared down at the jar then back at her as she padded over to him, dragging a chair with her.

"You might as well make yourself useful; rub that on my cracked ribs, front and back."

She grabbed one end of the top sheet on the bed and yanked it from under him, ripping the bedding into thick strips as she smiled coldly.

"Then you can wrap up my ribs nice and tight."

Dean returned her wintry smile and unscrewed the lid off the tin jar; the ointment reeked of peppermint and some other ingredient that reminded Dean of the potion she had shoved down his throat in Massachusetts.

He wrinkled his nose as he dipped his fingers in the jar, Ruby sat down and he leaned forward to smooth the ointment on her bruised flesh. When she turned around so he could rub it on her back, Dean frowned and leaned closer to study the brand on her right shoulder blade. It looked like some kind of Celtic symbol; surreptitiously he slipped out his cell phone with one hand and silently snapped a picture of it before sliding the phone back into his pocket.

Ruby tried to think of all the horrific things she had experienced in Hell, anything but the way it felt to be touched by a human being with expressive hazel green eyes you could drown in. It was not fair that Dean Winchester, the man who she felt she had the most to prove to; had seen her weak and vulnerable, twice. Or that he had pissed her off so much in that alley that she had lost control of her powers which meant she was going to have to heal the old-fashioned way for the next couple of days. Thank the Gods she had had the sense to jack the body of a Slayer otherwise she would have been out of commission for much longer than a few days. If luck was on their side the Winchesters would not attract any Hell Spawn With A Plan until then. Now what were the chances of that happening?

Dean wrapped the strips of linen around Ruby's ribs expertly. Field Medicine was something he had been practicing since he was eight. Father of the Decade he may not be but John Winchester had taught his Blunt Little Instrument well. He winced inwardly at the taunting voice from his Dream-Root trip that had coined that expression. Slamming the door on that soul-crushing memory Dean turned his attention back to the enigma in front of him. Their eyes met and held.

Ruby was the first to look away, she did not need this! There was a war to fight dammit.

"Olaf _is _the kind of demon you should worry about. He was on the other side, but nevertheless totally invested in this war. Good thing I found him before he found you and Sam."

Dean's eyes lit up with interest.

"Name sounds Scandinavian."

"He was. Very old school too… big fan of the holy trinity. You know; beating, raping and killing."

Dean picked the last strip and fashioned a sling for her left shoulder, it was a palette study of bruises too. He felt a stab of remorse at the way he had grabbed her arm in the bar.

"When we got drunk in that bar in Mass you didn't have any bruises."

"It's called magic, Shortbus."

"So why don't you just abracadabra yourself better now?"

Ruby gave him a chagrined smile as she took the tin jar of ointment from him and walked back to her duffel bag. Tossing it in there she pulled out a white sweatshirt and put it on the best she could with the sling. Pulling her wet hair out of the back she picked up a hairbrush and sat back down in the chair next to the bed. Dean looked at her expectantly.

"It's more of glamor than actual healing, the pain is still there and that kinda magic needs serious mojo. After Olaf I'm a little tapped out."

She ran the brush through her hair.

"Don't forget your little lights display in the alley." Dean said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah that too."

Dean leaned closer to her, "Thought you'd have learned better self-control… or maybe I just bring it out in you."

The brush faltered then stopped. Looking into his eyes she saw the confident knowledge that said he knew what he was talking about.

Ruby's eyes widened, "Looks like I underestimated you, Dean Winchester."

He grinned, "It's my good looks… throws people off."

She felt herself smile genuinely at the remark, "Whatever."

Dean planted his feet on the floor and stood up, "Have you seen Sam lately?"

The question was spoken casually but Ruby could read the tension in his muscles as he mentioned his brother.

"He told me about the Trickster if that's what you're asking."

Dean looked at her in surprise, Ruby shrugged, rising to her feet too.

"He wanted to know if my knife could kill him, so nice job Deano, your brother is getting tougher."

Dean scowled at her, "So can it?"

Ruby tossed the brush on the bed then padded over to the mini-fridge and pulled out the six-pack she had bought before her showdown with Olaf. She set it on the table and gestured to the chair by the bed.

"Bring that over, we can talk over a beer."

Dean complied, sitting down heavily; he accepted the bottle she handed him.

"I don't think it can kill the Trickster and besides I thought you two agreed _not _to tangle with him anymore."

Dean shrugged, "_Sam_ agreed, I just went along with it 'cause he was freaked. Besides, you can't blame a guy for asking... so what's this trickster's deal?"

Ruby twisted the cap off her beer and took a healthy swig, "What do you think it is?"

Dean shrugged in feigned nonchalance, "If I didn't know any better I'd think he was trying to toughen Sam up."

Ruby smiled cryptically, "That's one of his reasons anyway."

Dean twisted the cap off his beer and took a big swig; he fixed intense questioning green eyes on Ruby.

"It seems a lot of evil people are interested in toughening Sam up, why do I not think it's for the goodness of his eternal soul and more like, I don't know… trying to pick up where Yellow Eyes left off and get him to go Darth Vader?"

Ruby started to play with her bottle-cap, eyes probing Dean's with an unsettling intensity. Dean quashed the reflex that made him want to recoil, he felt like she was plumbing the very depths of his soul.

"I know what you're thinking but believe me; you _don't_ want to go after this guy. Just in case you've forgotten… you're in a _war_ and you don't have time to be pissing off powerful beings that can just stick you in a time loop somewhere."

Dean's eyes narrowed at her, "You _know_ this guy?"

Dark brown lashes lowered hiding her eyes, "I have an idea who he really is."

Dean leaned forward, "And?"

Ruby glared at him, "And nothing. Leave him alone. You can't afford it. Just be grateful that his lesson in Life Without Dean managed to both toughen and caution your brother, without wracking up a body count."

Dean snorted in disgust and finished his beer quietly. It was so typical of her to withhold any actual meaningful information. Dean hated being a puppet on a string and that's exactly how he felt when Ruby chose to selectively share. Why was he even here anyway? Didn't he hate this bitch?

Ruby left him to his ruminations, drinking her own beer quietly too. They drank their second beers in silence too. When they both reached for their third beer at the same time, Dean finally looked at her.

Ruby sighed, "I can help you, you know."

Dean did not like the solicitous nature of her tone, "Help me what?"

Ruby crossed her arms across her chest, "Get ready for Hell… all you have to do is ask."

Dean shrank away from her, "Why don't you stick to haunting the gullible Winchester."

Ruby laughed mirthlessly, "Oh you mean the Winchester with a future to look forward to?"

Dean rolled his eyes and downed his beer, slamming the bottle down on the table, he stood up.

"Well thanks for the beer Barbie, I think I've had as much your crap as I can stand. I'd forgotten for a minute that you're one of Hell's minions, but thanks for reminding me."

Ruby sneered up at him, adeptly concealing her hurt and disappointment; she did not want him to leave just yet.

"Finally! Don't let the door hit your dumb ass on the way out Winchester," she quipped as she pushed herself out of her chair and went to turn down the covers on her bed.

Dean shook his head wryly and walked over to the door, when he turned around to look at her; Ruby was plumping the pillows with her good hand. Unwillingly, he felt his heart tug in sympathy for the pale, bruised and exhausted blonde. She looked up at him eyes unguarded until she realized the train of his thought. Her eyes flashed, turning black. His insides clenched, what was he thinking feeling sorry for her? He should be feeling sorry for the poor girl she was riding! With a heartfelt curse Dean wrenched the door open and left the motel.

Ruby threw herself down on the bed and muttered a curse in Gaelic. She had sensed the change in him after she had come out of the shower and she had responded. So much so that she had forgotten herself. It was all because of this stupid human body! And not just any body, a Slayer's body that went hormonally crazy after a fight. It was only natural that it would react to Dean's animal magnetism right?

Turning off the lights, Ruby stared up at the ceiling in the dark. It was the body and only the body _she_ would not stoop so low as to find a man who hated her attractive. Wouldn't she?

---------------xxx-------------

What did y'all think? I've never written **SPN **or supernatural oriented fic before so I am not quite sure if I've lost the plot or not. Or if I'm losing their voices, it is very important to me that it sound like them.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: **Catch Me When I Fall (4/?)**

Fandom: Supernatural/BTVS/ATS (it's not a crossover per se but I will borrow the mythology from M.E. and mention some characters)

Rating: M – changed to be on the safe side!

Setting: Pre-Season 3 episode 12

Characters: Dean, Ruby & Sam

Pairings: Dean & Ruby

Word Count: 2,970

A/N: In my world Katie Cassidy's Ruby is the real Ruby and Genevieve Cortese's Ruby is a demon impersonating real Ruby, it's the only thing that makes sense!

Oh and I checked Katie Cassidy's eye-color on Wikipedia, its green. I think they look blue-green or basically do that thing that SMG's eyes do where depending on the color of clothing and lighting in a scene they look different. Or maybe it depends on what you've been smoking, I dunno.

"Dean, _where_ did you get this symbol? Bobby and I've got nothing concrete yet but from what I gather it's pretty powerful magic." Sam commented as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

He was sitting at their motel room's solitary desk, trawling the internet for some information on the picture of the branded symbol Dean had given him three days ago after they left Illinois. His brother had just come from one of the long showers he had started taking and was lying in bed in nothing but silk boxers and a t-shirt. Sam did not even want to think what the sudden, twice-daily long showers and the silk boxers and silk pyjamas were about. Knowing Dean it was probably something sexual.

Dean looked up from his book on Medieval Irish History and shrugged, "Doesn't matter where I got it, just find out what it _means_ exactly."

Sam gave him a measuring look, "You're keeping something from me."

Dean slammed the book shut and turned onto his side to face Sam, "I got it off a guy that Bela did business with once. He says he snapped that picture of her right shoulder while they were doing it doggy-style. Happy now?"

Sam winced at the mental image but nodded resolutely, "Yeah at least now I know _why_ you're so intent on finding out what it means. Do you think it might explain why it's been such a pain in the ass to track her down?"

Dean shrugged, "I hope so. Also I just wanna know what it means and the harder it is to find out-"

"The more curious you're getting." Sam finished for him with a grin.

"Ding-ding-ding give the Stanford dropout a prize!" Dean exclaimed before turning back to his book.

Sam turned back to his laptop with a rueful shake of his head then remembered how little time they had left together and snuck a look back at Dean. His brother was deeply engrossed in the book on Medieval Ireland. Sam wondered if it was a new kink or if Dean was reading the book in contribution to their search for Bela.

Dean had been changing a lot since Ruby had basically told him he was going to turn into a demon in Hell. Sam could have strangled her for telling him that. It just made everything that much harder and Sam's guilt that much more intense and suffocating. He immediately felt guilty for being so selfish as to think about his guilt over Dean's sacrifice when Dean himself actually had to go to Hell. Not for the first time Sam hoped that one of these days something would just kill them both then he wouldn't have to live without Dean and be left behind with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

A firm knock sounded on their motel room door and Sam looked at the door then Dean warily. His brother pulled out his sawed-off shotgun from under his pillow and nodded for Sam to open it. Sam picked up his own pistol from under the desk, and tucking it into his waistband, opened the door. Ruby.

"Hey Sam, miss me?"

The blonde strode into the room and gave Dean a peremptory nod before turning back to Sam. Dean sat up in his bed and tried not think about the picture of Ruby's brand that was lying on Sam's desk, if he thought about it his eyes would drift over there and she would see it.

"Ruby, what are you doing here?"

"Thought I'd save you the trouble of looking for a case, I found a nest of demons in an abandoned building West of here. Good news is there's three of us and twenty- twenty-one of them."

"How is that good news when we're out numbered seven to one?" Dean asked from the bed.

Ruby threw him a disgusted look over her shoulder, "So _Sam_, are you coming or what?"

Sam looked at Dean then back at Ruby, he threw a regretful glance at Dean and facing Ruby he nodded.

"Yeah I am…Dean come on," Sam said in his imploring voice; silently begging his older brother not to make a big deal out it.

Dean glared at him then let out a defeated sigh, there was no pretending he was not going to capitulate and the chance of ganking all those demons was reason enough to go, no matter how much he hated the source of information. Throwing off his blankets, he pulled on his jeans. Ruby snorted in disbelief at the sight of his silk boxers.

"You got a problem Hell Barbie?"

Hands on her hips Ruby tilted her head to the side, "Aww Dean, you're breaking my heart."

"_Shut up_ bitch."

Ruby's eyes flashed angrily, "I told you to _stop_ calling me that."

Dean finished buckling his belt and shrugged on his leather jacket. Picking up his phone, car keys and shotgun he stepped into her personal space.

"Get one thing straight Hell Skank, I am not here to make your life easy or spare whatever pathetic excuse you demons have for feelings. I don't take orders from you and I don't really care _what_ you say to me because 99% of the time it's _all_ lies."

Ruby's hands curled into fists, "How about you lay off the name-calling Hellboy or-"

"Or what?"

"Or I stop playing nice, tell Darling Sammy about how you've got a hard on for sticking it to demons and not just any demon but to me." Ruby whispered hotly.

Dean's cheeks flushed a dark red and he sniggered, "I am _not_ attracted to you so go ahead and tell Sam whatever you want."

"Guys! Let's _go_," Sam called impatiently from the doorway.

Dean shouldered Ruby out of the way, "Sure thing, let's go. Your little HellBitch witch can get on her broomstick and fly; she is not getting in the Impala."

"Dean-"

"She's _not _getting in the Impala Sam and that's final!" Dean practically roared, he strode out of the motel anger radiating off him in waves.

Sam looked at Ruby helplessly and Ruby shrugged, "The nest is on South Street, the building's called, Seraphim House, ironically. I'll meet you there."

She walked out of the motel room and Sam shut the door behind her then locked it. Dean drove the Impala to their front door, missing Ruby's boot-clad feet by a fraction.

"You're missing a couple of inches," she hissed in anger and walked away from the car.

"Not my fault your coochie's been a demon truck stop for centuries!" Dean called out as Sam got in the car.

Ruby flipped him the bird without turning around and kept walking.

Dean chuckled harshly and tore out of the parking lot, Sam watching him worriedly as he drove.

----------xxx---------

"Woo! That was awesome!" Dean howled as he parked the Impala in the motel parking lot.

Sam grinned in agreement, that had been the most amount of fun he had had in months. When they arrived at the nest site, Ruby had pulled up in a cherry red Ford Mustang she had stolen. Pointedly ignoring each other, Ruby and Dean had led the way into the building. Ruby had kicked down the door into one of the basement apartments and literally jumped into the fray. Dean had nudged Sam forward then brought up the rear as they fought vicious misshapen creatures that resembled no humans they had ever seen. All twenty-one demons dead and ankle deep in blood and guts, Ruby had suggested they burn the place down to hide any trace that the Winchester brothers had been there. Building ablaze they had walked away from the site, Ruby, blonde hair stringy with blood and sweat, had told them to lay low and get the Hell out of Dodge before speeding off.

Dean slammed the door to the Impala shut as he practically jogged up to their room. Sam followed at a more sedate pace. Revelling in the light-hearted camaraderie between him and his brother at the moment; Sam memorised the feeling in his catalogue of Moments to Remember when Dean Goes to Hell. The usual melancholy that overcame him when he remembered that, pushed at the edges of his consciousness but Sam pushed it away.

"Shotgun Shower!" Dean called as he shoved the door open.

Sam opened his mouth but then shut it again, smiling indulgently he followed his brother into their motel room and shut the door behind him.

"Just don't finish all the hot water in one of your new ridiculously long showers!"

"Yeah yeah whatever Sammy," Dean said over his shoulder as he slammed the bathroom door shut.

Sam shook his head and started to take his clothes off, Dean may have beaten him to the shower but it did not mean he had to wallow in blood and entrail-soaked clothes either. Stripping down to his boxers Sam put all his ruined clothes in a garbage bag and tied it securely. There was no saving any of those clothes! Turning back to his laptop, he opened the lid and switched it on again. His adrenaline rush was giving him a good feeling, he wanted to research the symbol some more.

--------xxx--------

"Nice symbol," Ruby commented.

Sam jumped in his seat; dropping the photograph, he turned to face the demon. She had managed to shower and change into light blue jeans, a white tank top and a black leather jacket. Her blonde hair was still wet and tied in a low side-ponytail. With only lip-gloss and whatever that strong rose and spices smelling perfume she always wore on, she looked like a normal California rich girl.

"Do you know what it is? Dean got this picture off some guy who took it off a woman we're trying to track."

Arms crossed across her chest, Ruby gave Sam a strange look, "I thought you were trying to track down Bela."

"Yeah, and this is apparently a symbol branded on her right shoulder." Sam explained earnestly, holding the photograph out to her.

She glanced down at the image without taking it. Dean let out a cheer in the bathroom and Ruby twisted round to stare at the door, an idea germinating in her mind. Walking over to his bed, she picked up the book he had been reading and then suddenly it all made sense. She sighed, begrudgingly admitting to herself that she was impressed. He definitely was craftier than she had given him credit for.

"It's a protective symbol. Made to contain great power in a weak vessel," she explained patiently as she sat on Dean's unmade bed, stretching her legs out she rested her back against the headboard.

Sam's eyes widened with interest, "Oh My God, that's great! Are you saying that Bela has powers or that she's… _possessed_?"

Ruby's nose wrinkled as she picked up the scent of Dean's soul and traces of his aura from the sheets. Flipping through his book with restrained anger she looked back up at Sam.

"It _can_ be both but in Bela's case it's none of the above. The guy who gave your brother that picture lied, it's not her shoulder."

Dean naked except for the towel around his waist, burst out of the bathroom, his face falling when he spotted Ruby sitting on his bed.

"Sam, tell me I'm hallucinating and your demon girlfriend isn't actually sitting on my bed, or… well…here!?"

"Dean, Ruby's just been telling me what the symbol means."

Ruby's eyes travelled up Dean's damp torso and stopped at the furious hazel green eyes.

"I was just telling Sam here that _your _symbol means protection. It contains great power in a weak vessel, prevents possession and keeps people who _don't_ want to be found hidden." Ruby enunciated each word carefully.

Dean watched her warily but tactfully remained silent.

"I was also telling Sam that your _source_ lied, that's _not_ Bela's shoulder."

"Then whose is it?" Sam asked impatiently.

"It's mine." Ruby replied matter-of-factly.

Sam's eyes darted to meet Dean's but his brother's attention was focused solely on Ruby.

Ruby broke the staring contest between her and Dean and turned to look at Sam, "Why don't you get cleaned up and I can tell you all about it?"

Sam wanted to argue but one look at Dean and he got to his feet. Also he felt disgusting but did not want to leave these two alone for long; they really rubbed each other the wrong way.

"Okay… I'll be right out," Sam said reassuringly.

Dean moved away from the bathroom door and walked over to Sam's bed, his eyes watching Ruby cautiously. When the shower water started running, Dean sat down on the bed and gave Ruby a chagrined smile.

"Why'd you lie to Sam?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"_Come on_ Ruby, you and I both know that _I_ took that picture."

Ruby shrugged, "You're going to Hell Dean, the kid feels bad enough about that, telling him you were getting cosy with me and then you _lied_ to him might send him over the edge don't you think?"

Dean's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Ruby tilted her head and gave him an assessing look.

"You should have just _asked_ me."

"Would you have told me the truth?"

"Maybe, now we'll never know."

Dean raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips, "_Of course_ you would have, because you're not like other demons, you're _different_." His tone was mocking.

"That too, but _mostly_ because you're _going to the Pit_ and the welcome wagon they're going to bust out for you is punishment enough, let alone the eternity part."

"Oh so you're feeling sorry for me, now. Thanks but I don't need nor want your pity."

"Maybe but you've got it anyway. You don't get it do you Dean? I don't need to manipulate you or lie to you 'cause you're a dead man walking. There are no lies or secrets where you're going and when this war is over, win or lose I'll be back there in the Pit with all the fire and brimstone burning as hot and brightly as it always has. If I lie to you, sooner or later we'll meet again and Demon You can have its revenge. I've seen the darkness in you, I've watched you in action…something tells me it wouldn't be pretty."

Dean swallowed convulsively, trying desperately to tighten his grip on his self-control as Ruby's words burrowed into his skin and set up residence in his brain.

"Shut the fuck up bitch, you've had your fun."

Ruby looked at him sadly, "Sam may be the Winchester I'm investing in for the long haul but I can help you too Dean. All you have to do is ask."

"And I'm supposed to believe you're helping Sam and want to help me out of the goodness of your heart because you've got what? A blink-and-you'll-miss-it _splinter _of humanity left inside you?" Dean ground out cynically.

Ruby sat up and planted her feet on the floor, "Believe what you want but it's the truth."

Dean shot up from Sam's bed and wrapping his hand around her neck, tossed Ruby up against the wall.

"Okay Hell Barbie, you wanna talk truth, tell me something… four nights ago your ribs were cracked and today you were kicking demon ass and taking numbers as good as new. What's_ that_ about?"

Ruby gasped and choked struggling for air, "The body I jacked was more than human, it belonged to a girl with supernatural strength."

Dean pressed her into the wall, his body pinning hers and subduing her struggles as he searched her eyes, looking for some kind of tell that would give away the truth even if her words didn't.

"A girl with supernatural strength that couldn't fight you from possessing her, there are so many things wrong with that answer. _Yank the other one_."

Ruby started to feel light-headed and with that sensation surged a fury so intense she saw red. The lights flickered on and off as her eyes flashed from black to green over and over again. Dean's body went flying across the room and hit the motel room door with a satisfactory thud. Stunned he pulled himself up to his feet and got ready to fight her. Without warning she rushed him, grabbing his left arm, eyes still flashing from black to green, Ruby pulled him away from the door and head-butted him as hard as she could. Dean fell backwards onto his bed, motel room towel miraculously still securing his modesty. Ruby wrenched the door off its hinges and let it fall into the room, eyes changing back to blue-green she walked away, each light-bulb in her path bursting as she went.

Sam burst out of the bathroom, towel clutched around his waist, "Dean!"

He stared at the motel room door in shock and turned to his brother who was rubbing his forehead as he sat up on the bed.

"What happened?"

Dean smirked, "Ruby and I had a difference of opinion."

Sam gave his brother an exasperated look, "Dean, what'd you piss her off for?"

Dean chuckled mirthlessly as he got to his feet, "She's a _demon_ Sam and no matter what she says she _can't _be trusted."

Sam threw his brother a disgusted look, "After all that she's done for us don't you think you should cut her a little slack?"

Dean frowned at his little brother, "No Sam _I don't_ and neither should you. All that she's done for us, doesn't change the fact that she's a fucking demon and therefore evil. Now get dressed, we gotta get the Hell outta here, I'm not paying for this damage. And I _really_ need a drink."

Sam relented, "Yeah me too."

"And a good lay," Dean mused out-loud as he unearthed his duffel bag.

Sam pursed his lips and Dean laughed, "You can say 'me too', Sammy Boy, it's perfectly natural."

"_Unlike_ you Dean, I like my having sex to mean something."

"Other than it meaning you have a healthy libido and that you've gotten your rocks off what else does it have to _mean_ you big girl?"

Sam shrugged, "You wouldn't understand."

Dean pulled on a pair of boxers and discarded the towel, "No Sam, I wouldn't, it's like menstruation, PMS and nesting, a total chick thing."

Sam stalked over to his duffel bag and shouldering it slammed the bathroom door so he could get changed.

"Too bad Mom and Dad never found out they got the daughter they'd always wanted, long brown hair and everything!" Dean taunted.

"Kiss my ass Dean!" Sam called out from the bathroom.

Dean shook his head in amusement; there was a better chance of Hell freezing over!

--------xxx-------

Post-note: I suppose the reason why I've put this story under crossover is a little clearer now? It's not about **BTVS**/**ATS** it's just more about the fact that when I watch **SPN** sometimes I think to myself, they so need to call Buffy or Faith or the Watcher's Council! Hope it doesn't ring false, though!


	5. Chapter 5

Title: **Catch Me When I Fall (5/?)**

Fandom: Supernatural/BTVS/ATS (it's not a crossover per se but I will borrow the mythology from M.E. and mention some characters)

Rating: M – changed to be on the safe side!

Setting: Pre-Season 3 episode 12

Characters: Dean, Ruby, Sam, Faith, Buffy and Spike

Pairings: Dean & Ruby, Faith & Spike

Word Count: 4,621

A/N: In my world Katie Cassidy's Ruby is the real Ruby and Genevieve Cortese's Ruby is a demon impersonating real Ruby, it's the only thing that makes sense!

Hmm… my whole not really a crossover thing has a hit a snag, Ruby's going to tell Dean about Slayers and he gets to meet one or three. Hopefully it doesn't swerve too far off course for the story I'm telling.

"Bartender! Hit me again." Dean ordered, shaking his empty shot-glass at the middle-aged female bartender that reminded him of an African-American, Ellen Harvelle. The resemblance wasn't so much physical as it was a personality thing.

The bar was in the outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio. Sam was at Bobby's and Dean had driven to Cleveland following what turned out to be a dead lead on Bela. His plan was to get drunk then take whatever female looked the _bendiest_ back to his motel room. It had been six days since he'd met Ruby in the bar in Illinois and after her throwaway comment about Hell and orgies, Dean's libido had taken an unexpected hibernation. Tonight however, he was bored and he didn't even have Sam or Bobby to drive crazy with his antics. No way in Hell was he going back to his empty motel room and counting sheep until the Demon Dean filled dreams that were haunting him lately, snared him in their tenacious grip.

"Yeah baby, _that's_ what I'm talking about!" An attractive brunette yelled at one of the pool tables in the back of the bar.

Dean thanked the bartender for his top up and swivelled on his barstool to watch the young twenty-something with dark hair, dark eyes and cherry red lips gyrate her slender but well-muscled black-clad frame to the sounds of Rihanna's, '_Umbrella_'. Dean felt an involuntary smirk tug his lips as he studied the woman. Her clothes, attitude, makeup and even her dance moves screamed 'Danger! Freak on the loose!'

Her companion, a bleach blonde male who looked deathly pale wearing a smoking leather duster and all black was smirking at her as she danced.

"One more round luv, I'll go easy on you this time, promise."

Dean's ears pricked up as he detected the British accent.

"Ella, ella, ella, ella, ey, ey, what game were you playing Blondie, I kicked your _ass_ remember? '.this. I'm on a roll baby!" The brunette replied as she handed her companion the pool cue and picking up the empty pitcher of beer, strutted to the bar.

She stopped next to Dean, "One more pitcher of beer Mary-Lou and a couple shots of Tequila while you're at it."

The bartender smiled at the brunette, "Sure thing Cutie."

The brunette turned and smiled at Dean, her smile blinding in contrast to the red lipstick.

"She always calls me Cutie, gotta love it, no one else ever has."

Dean's face split into a cocky but charming grin, "Yeah I know, she called me Sugar twice tonight, can't remember the last time someone did that and they weren't stripping their clothes off and dancing on a pole."

The brunette's eyebrows rose in amusement, "Your pole or a stripper pole?"

Dean shrugged, "Both."

The brunette chuckled, the sound sexy and husky, "I'm Faith."

She held out her hand to him and Dean shook it with an amused twinkle in his eye, "Dean. It's a pleasure to meet you Faith."

"Pleasure's all mine Dimples…I'm Spike."

The bleach blonde man in the leather duster said shoving his hand in Dean's face and breaking the contact between Dean and Faith.

Dean shrugged and shook 'Spike's' hand too.

"There you go Cutie!" Mary-Lou chirped as she set the pitcher down and then produced two shot glasses.

"Hey Mary-Lou, might as well make those shot-glasses three, I'm definitely in the mood for a little Tequila," Dean piped up.

Faith tilted her head, dark brown eyes flashing with interest. Mary-Lou poured the shots, then slid the plate with slices of lime and the salt shaker at Faith. Taking a shot glass each, Faith licked the back of her hand, eyes on Dean she expertly sprinkled salt on it. With a feral grin she took Dean's hand and licked the back of his too before sprinkling some salt on it. Spike waved away the salt shaker and all three slammed the shots back and set the glasses back down on the bar at the same time. Taking a slice of lime each they sucked on the fruit.

Dean turned to Faith, "So I take it you live around here?"

Faith gave him a mysterious mega-watt smile, "Not exactly. I come here often though."

"We both do," Spike cut in.

Dean turned to study Spike, the man radiated sexual energy and if Dean wasn't mistaken he could have sworn it wasn't just for the females.

"Spike and I work together," Faith supplied.

"Not all we do together luv," Spike purred.

Faith's smile got brighter, "Yeah we sneak and creep into each others' beds every now and again."

"And alleys, road-sides, nicked cars, lifts…sorry elevat_ors_-"

"I get the picture," Dean said flashing his dimples and holding a hand up.

Faith's eyes were focused on Dean intently, he wondered if that was how some of the women on the receiving end of his charm felt. Like they were about to get eaten up as one delicious morsel at a lion's banquet, a chill of anticipatory pleasure snaked down his spine. Spike's eyes widened with renewed interest, blue orbs glowing in the dim lighting of the bar.

"I don't think you do Dean but that's okay, I'll steer you around all the unexpected curves," Faith whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.

Dean was finding it very hard to breathe as Faith leaned in and started to kiss him, not really sure which way was up or down anymore he let instinct take over, kissing her back. Faith's fingers combed through his hair before sliding down to stroke his arms then flanks. Dean wasn't sure if it was wishful thinking but he could have sworn he felt a quiet power thrumming from her body into his.

Faith pulled away from Dean her tongue flicking out to lick her lips she savored the flavour of Dean's kiss. Dark eyes fixed on him she gave him an apologetic look as her cell-phone started to ring. Dean was impressed to hear Guns 'n' Roses, '_Welcome to the Jungle_' filtering out of the phone.

"Hey B, what's up?"

Dean snuck a look at Spike who was studying Dean with predatory interest, Dean frowned, did the British man's eyes glow yellow for a second there?

Spike tilted his head and gave Dean a measuring look. Did this man know about the things that went bump in the night?

"Okay, meet you in ten. Yeah, Spike's with me, we'll be there," Faith said before she hung up the phone.

Leaning in again she kissed Dean soundly then pulled away, shrugging apologetically she pushed Spike out of the way and sashayed to the pool table, picking up her leather jacket she shrugged it on.

"We've gotta go Dean… I'll see you around," Faith said distractedly as she silently communicated something with Spike.

Dean gave her a regretful smile, "Yeah see ya."

Faith and Spike headed out the door already engrossed in conversation.

"Looks like we're gonna get ourselves a workout after all Spike, B says its pretty powerful, high up there and close to the Big Bad."

"Goodie, it's only been three days since our last cesspool rumble."

"It's cool, rock 'em sock 'em's what it's all about remember Brit Boy?"

Dean sighed internally and turned to Mary-Lou who had an amused grin on her face. With a shrug he paid for their Tequila shots and forgotten pitcher of beer.

'Better luck next time Deano, besides that chick looked like she would eat you alive.' He thought to himself philosophically.

Accepting a fresh beer mug from Mary-Lou, Dean poured himself Faith and Spike's neglected beer.

-----------xxx-----------

"I get it… whenever I pierce through that armour of yours, you get violent. Life for Dean Winchester is supposed to be black and white, no room for grey 'cause you might lose your nerve." Ruby mused out-loud.

Dean's heart jumped in his throat but he managed to control his visible reaction to a mere flush of his already ruddy-cheeked complexion.

"Ruby, _never_ a pleasure, as always," Dean tipped his mug at her and finished off its contents.

"Two double-shots of Jameson and another beer for the lady," Ruby told Mary-Lou with a self-assured smile.

Mary-Lou gave Dean a cryptic look and went to get the drinks Ruby had ordered.

Dean turned to glare at the blonde sitting so calmly next to him.

"I come in peace Winchester… don't shoot."

"Wouldn't be thinking of apologising for head-butting me into migraine-land would you?"

"_That_ would be facetious of me Winchester and I know how much you hate being lied to, so no. Were you thinking of apologising for throttling me?" Ruby asked in a syrupy sweet voice.

Dean's hand itched to punch her lights out. The bitch really had a way of getting to him!

Mary-Lou set down the two double shots of Jameson in front of Dean and the glass of draught beer in front of Ruby. The blonde smiled indulgently and switched the drinks around. Reaching into her back pocket she tossed a $50 bill on the counter and downed both double shots in short order. Dean watched her with budding interest.

"I didn't think so," Ruby said as she let out a dainty Jameson-flavored burp.

Dean's eyebrow went up, "Didn't think what?"

Ruby looked at him like he was slow, "That you were even considering apologising.'

"Oh that."

"Yeah _that_. Anyway, like I was saying, you don't like the idea that there is a grey out there. Nor do you like the idea that I just might _not _mean you any harm, and you resent me for popping your Truths About Hell cherry and that's… _immature_ but understandable-"

"Is all this going somewhere?" Dean asked impatiently.

Ruby sighed, "So I figured the less I _say_ to you the better, don't want to rock the denial boat anymore, but since you're in Cleveland, I thought I'd _show_ you something."

"Whatever it is, I don't wanna see it. Now go and be annoying somewhere else," Dean laughed mirthlessly.

Ruby crossed her arms and gave him an arch look, "The quicker you humor me, the faster I'll be out of your hair."

Dean took a deep swallow of his beer then set the mug down with a thud, "Why do I have to _humor_ you at all? Last I checked Sam's the one you had an interest in and you yourself said I'm a dead man walking, so why don't you just go and f-"

Ruby's hand shot out, her fingers pressed his lips together.

"You wanted to know about the body I jacked and I thought you should see for yourself. For all your father's thoroughness, I still can't understand why he never told you about them but he must have had his reasons. So… do you want me to show you or not?"

Dean's eyes lit up with wary interest and Ruby knew the hard part was over.

"Mary-Lou, two more double-shots of Jameson please!" Ruby called over her shoulder.

Turning back to Dean she released his lips and gave him a measuring look. Mary-Lou set their drinks down and Dean picked both of them up, giving one to Ruby.

"What you're gonna see is going to rock your world and spin it off its axis, are you_ sure_ you want to muddy the waters of how you thought the world works anymore than you already have?" Ruby asked.

Dean looked into her eyes and nodded, "No, but fuck it, let's do this."

Ruby shrugged and clinking her shot-glass with his, downed the whisky. Setting her glass on the counter, she watched Dean throw a $20 on the counter and follow her out of the bar.

The prudent part of him hoped he was not walking into a trap.

-------------xxx--------

Ruby pulled open a manhole and grinned at Dean, "Ladies first."

Dean crossed his arms and shook his head with his trademark smirk, "Guess that means neither one of us is going in first."

Ruby rolled her eyes, "Okay then, _humans_ first."

Dean glared at her, muttering an inaudible curse as he hunkered down and slid into the sewers. Landing on cat-like feet he watched as Ruby dropped in straight after him. She produced an amulet with the same symbol as the one seared on her shoulder and dropped it around his neck.

"You're gonna need that so we don't get spotted," she explained as she navigated around the puddle of excrement in her path.

Dean ground his teeth in irritation at her take-charge attitude and followed. Gagging, he covered his mouth in revulsion; he had been in more sewers than he cared to remember but he was quite sure they had never smelt this bad.

A few minutes later, Ruby held her hand up, signalling him to stop, four separate tunnels converged no less than a few feet from them in a relatively large open space, it was dimly lit by some kind of pale blue flourescent lights. Ruby pulled Dean into a darkened niche.

"Watch and learn Winchester," she whispered.

Dean threw her a petulant glare but before he could speak he heard someone approach. A few seconds later a petite blonde that radiated power and magnetism walked into the open space in front of them.

"Sure B, we'll be right there B. That's what I get for trusting little Miss Attention Span sister slayer," the blonde muttered under her breath.

Dean's eyes were drawn to the deadly looking broadsword she was twirling like a baton. His green eyes widened in surprise, she couldn't weigh more than 120 pounds wet and broadswords weren't his specialty but he was pretty sure she should not physically be able to handle it so effortlessly.

A shape separated itself from the shadows and Dean's eyes widened further with apprehension; his body tensing as he got ready to play his role as protector to the slight girl. Ruby grabbed his arm in warning.

"Slayer."

The blonde spread her feet wide, planting them in readiness, "The name's Buffy, Sewer-breath."

Dean's breath seized in his throat and he wondered at the girl's total lack of fear. The shadow moved closer to her and Dean stared in shock at the 7 foot tall demon with horns and glowing red eyes. It looked like something out a horror movie. Ruby grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip wordlessly telling him not to move.

The demon stopped one foot away from the girl, opened its maw of a mouth and roared. The sewer pipes rattled from the force of the sound and the air around them reeked with the smell of rotting flesh and faecal matter. The girl who called herself Buffy was still twirling her sword, and then quick as lightning she brought it round and stabbed the demon in the chest. Pulling it out, she spun around in 360' turn chopping the demon's head off as she moved. Dean would have yelped if Ruby hadn't clapped a hand over his mouth.

Footsteps thudded down the sewer passageway and Faith and Spike appeared at Buffy's side.

"Jesus B, you got started without us!" Faith reproached.

Buffy shrugged nonchalantly, "Would've been finished too, you're so late. Lucky for you I needed you guys here to open the seal."

Faith shrugged, "Alright, let's get this party started!"

Spike hefted the sword he had been carrying and Faith pulled one out of a scabbard strapped to her back. The three figures stabbed their swords into the demon's corpse and Spike bent down to rip out the demon's intestines. Dean grimaced as demon blood and guts splattered all three of them.

"Great, yet another good shirt sacrificed on the altar of Slayage," Buffy griped resignedly.

Spike smeared the demon entrails on the wall it had come from and muttered some incantations in a language Dean had never heard before. All three of them stepped back to wait for the spell to work.

"Willow couldn't make it?" Faith asked conversationally.

Buffy shrugged, "Her and Andrew said they could work their veiling spell mojo better from the outside. I think its cause Andrew can't stand the smell of raw excrement."

Faith shrugged, "Yeah well I gotta side with the Fairy Watcher on that one, nothing sends the boys running away screaming like eau de sewer."

The ground beneath their feet started to shake and the wall cracked open to show a gaping cavern that glowed a bright orange-red. Inside was what Dean imagined the depths of Hell must look like. Demons that closely resembled the Orcs in the Lord of the Rings Movies all stopped whatever they were doing and roared at the three intruders.

"Hello boys, did you miss me?" Buffy quipped.

The Demon Orcs rushed towards the mouth of the cavern and Buffy, Faith and Spike gave out a battle cry as they surged forward, meeting their adversaries halfway. Dean's mouth dropped with incredulity when he saw Buffy punch a Demon Orc and it flew backwards to hit a cavern wall. He would have given Ruby a 'What the Fuck?' look if his eyes weren't so riveted by the battle scene unfolding in front of him.

Faith launched herself at a Demon Orc, wrapping her thighs around its head she fell backwards and with one vicious twist snapped its neck. Spike was punching and kicking the creatures like they were nothing but rag dolls, tossing the weakened bodies out of the way, he started using his sword, slicing and dicing as the trio worked their way deeper into the cavern. Dean barely had time to react to the fact that Spike was some kind of demon, a vampire if the fangs were anything to go by, because everything was moving so fast.

Ten minutes later, Dean simultaneously watched Faith go to town on a Demon Orc that had bitten her shoulder, while Buffy threw her sword at the last moving demon, nailing it to the wall. Without even flinching she pulled the sword out of its head and flicked the blood and brain on the floor.

"Don't you ever think you can get a drop of my blood you demon sonofabitch, I'm a Slayer, nobody drinks my blood without my permission!" Faith yelled before she ripped the Demon Orc's head clean off its shoulders.

Still in a fit of rage she kicked the head like a soccer ball and it landed with a sickening splat next to Spike.

"Oi watch it luv, demon blood don't come out of vintage leather easy!" Spike protested.

Faith shrugged apologetically as she picked up her sword, now slick with blood and stalked over to Buffy who was surveying the carnage with a pleased grin.

"Nice moves B, loved that spinning kick, crotch to sternum thing you did back there." Faith complimented as she gave Buffy a high-five.

"Thanks, this little clean up mission reeks but it definitely didn't suck," Buffy said as she rolled her head around and cracked the stiff bones in her neck.

Spike, vampire face still on walked up to the girls and put a hand around each of their shoulders.

"See I told you that we could have fun without the Great Poofter and Illyria."

Buffy smiled softly at this and nodded at the two expectant faces, "Yeah you did, I admit it okay. Now let's go get the Big Boss Man and get the Hell out of here."

"Amen to that." Faith replied as they turned towards the entrance.

Dean and Ruby watched as a giant Demon Orc, twice the size of the ones the Slayers and the vampire had fought materialised behind them. Before Dean could yell out a warning, Buffy yelled, "Duck and run!"

A ball of fire smashed the ground where they had just been standing.

"Slayer!"

"Which one?" Buffy asked.

The Demon approached her and pointed his mail-clad finger at her.

"Oh, me… couldn't you guys be talking to Faith for once?"

'This girl is insane!' Dean thought.

"It's not over yet, we have only just begun. You think you know what you're up against but you have no idea little girl."

Buffy sighed in irritation, "Okay, I know its part of your M.O. because you're evil and all but can't you guys ever just drop the cryptic and say what you mean?"

The Demon laughed, the sound it made horrible to the ears, "The rumors about you were true, you are _foolishly_ fearless."

Dean watched Buffy's back stiffen and actually felt fear for the demon.

"Well Slayer-Demon death-match competitor number one million and ten, if you're not gonna tell me anything useful let's get on with it."

The demon moved amazingly fast for its size and somersaulted over her head, picking up Faith and Spike it hurled them out of the cavern. Their hurtling bodies' flight was stopped painfully by the sewer wall an inch from where Ruby and Dean stood.

Dean shrank back in disbelief as the wall cracked and crumbled from the impact but both Faith and Spike got up dazedly and staggered back towards the cavern.

The demon had picked Buffy up by her neck and holding the other hand up muttered some kind of incantation that created an invisible force-field, blocking Spike and Faith from coming any closer.

"This war isn't like all the others little girl, the End of Days have arrived and there's nothing you and your little friends can do to stop it!" The demon yelled.

Hand still wrapped around her neck, the demon smashed her face into the cavern wall repetitively. Laughing he turned to look at her bloody face; Buffy spat out a tooth, then elbowed the demon in the face so hard its head snapped back. Dazed and in pain, it dropped her to the floor. She wrenched off the demon's protective amulet as she went down.

"Oh an apocalypse? Hmm… how many of those have I stopped so far? Ten? Eleven? Fifteen? I can't keep track anymore. You've fought one apocalypse, you've fought them all." Buffy mused out-loud as she picked up her sword and tossed Faith the amulet.

Without breaking her stride Faith caught it as she and Spike stumbled into the cavern and picked up their discarded swords.

The demon staggered to its feet, "This time you're facing _The_ Apocalypse and the battle has already begun, as we speak, all over the world the signs are there. Our King and our High Command have chosen their vessels. This time you will not win. It'll take the very Hand of God himself and his warriors to stop us."

Buffy's face twisted in boredom, "Yeah, yeah, yadda yadda, thanks for the heads up."

Turning in tandem; all three raised their swords and launched themselves at the demon. Faith ducked and rolled underneath the demon's legs and the three fighters surrounded it. In less than a minute it was all over. The demon was dead and Buffy and Faith were helping a limping Spike out of the cavern. As soon as they dropped him on the ground the cavern started to shake and rattle, imploding within itself it disappeared in the dark leaving Dean, Ruby, the two Slayers and Spike in the dimly lit sewer. A large gaping hole and a mountain of rubble was all that remained. Sewer pipes around the hole burst open, spilling things Dean did not want to think about all over.

Dean let out a shaky breath, he had never seen anything so unbelievable, scary yet exciting in his entire life.

"Okay, hand in demon viscera… eww!" Buffy exclaimed, rising slowly to her feet.

Faith stood up and rotated her injured shoulder before pulling the amulet Buffy had tossed her out of her pocket.

"This thing's like biblical old or something, I can feel its power. This is some deep shit mojo B."

Buffy ducked from the spray of a nearby burst pipe then wiped blood off her face with the back of her sleeve, "Yeah, I felt its power while he was painting the wall with my face. Lost a tooth too."

Spike walked up to her and tilted her head back, "It's only a molar luv, you're still beautiful."

Faith handed Spike the amulet and he studied it with a frown, "Bloody fuckin' Hell."

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked.

"Thing's biblical old alright. Try Babylonian. Looks like _Ghosts of Mars_ Demon knew what he was talkin' bout."

Faith and Buffy traded blank looks, "Which is?" They asked simultaneously.

Spike rolled his eyes, "This is bad, as in _The_ Apocalypse bad."

"'Cause it's from Babylon?" Buffy asked cheerfully.

Spike's eyes narrowed, "No, because it's designed to bring the armies of Hell back on Earth. More than ten years fighting demons and evil and you haven't picked up anything from Giles or the witch?"

Buffy gave Spike a disbelieving look, "I'm Buffy… I am _The_ Slayer, I died twice and I have had my fair share of heart-breaking office romances… things get bad I, to quote Cordelia, stick things with sharp objects."

Spike scowled at her, "And I'm Spike… Vampire with a soul I went and earned wasn't cursed with by Gypsies like some Great Big Poofter I know. I died twice and one of those times I did it for you… _was_ William the Bloody in my heyday and when things get bad… I'll still lay my unlife down for you and all those ignorant Happy Meals on Legs you call people, no matter what the cost."

They were standing toe-to-toe now and Dean could swear there was some kind of unresolved sexual tension between the two of them.

Faith pushed them apart and shrugged, "And _I'm _Faith… I'm The _Other _Slayer, went evil, fell into a coma, went to jail… got groiny with a Watcher in Training, hot female Greek Watcher in Training and well… Spike, as far as office romances go… things get bad, I'll probably make them worse somehow but I kick ass and can screw for days."

Buffy nodded, smiling brightly in agreement, "Exactly!"

Spike turned to look at Buffy, "You two have-"

Buffy's eyes widened comically, "No! Of course not!"

Faith grinned, "Bottom line is… we're good with the violence, not so good with the dusty old books."

Spike shook his head, "Well, you lot should pay more attention to the research, this thing was in one of Wesley's books back at Wolfram & Hart. It's part of the Assyrian Texts and they specifically deal with the End of Days, as foretold in the Bible."

"Oh great, another apocalypse involving prophecies and the Bible, you know I don't even know why people bothered writing that thing it's so _dark_ and more trouble than its worth," Buffy complained.

"Come on Slayer, this is serious," Spike said gravely.

"And this is _Cleveland_… city's on top of a fucking Hellmouth, that amulet's just another day at the office," Faith said dismissively.

Spike gave them a disgusted look, "No, I'm pretty sure this is the end. Lights Out. Get it?"

Faith and Buffy traded a look, then Faith linked arms with Buffy and they started to walk away.

"You know what B you should get yourself a gold tooth. With Xander's eye-patch and your gold tooth maybe we can start a pirate Slayer gang or a band called the Pirates."

"Great idea F, how 'bout I chop your leg off with my trusty scythe and we can give you a peg leg."

Spike bringing up the rear stopped to look at the disaster scene before turning back round and to follow the girls. He stopped by Dean and Ruby and sniffed the air.

"Must be losing my marbles… could've sworn I smell Butch Green Eyes and Dimples I Wanna Lick boy."

Dean shrank backwards into the wall.

"Spike! Come on!" Faith called out.

With one last cursory sniff, Spike shrugged, "Sod this," he grumbled as he walked past Dean and Ruby's hiding place.

---------------xxx-----------xxx---------

Not too OTT was it? I've never written for BTVS or ATS, not even unpublished work and it's because I love the Whedonverse too much I don't want to sully it by writing unworthy fic. Did the characters come alive here or where they 2-D, pale and lacklustre cardboard cut-out impressions of the characters we all know and love? Let me know!!


	6. Chapter 6

Title: **Catch Me When I Fall (6/?)**

Fandom: Supernatural/BTVS/ATS (it's not a crossover per se but I will borrow the mythology from M.E. and mention some characters)

Rating: M – changed to be on the safe side!

Setting: Pre-Season 3 episode 12

Characters: Dean, Ruby & Sam

Pairings: Dean & Ruby

Word Count: 2,866

A/N: In my world Katie Cassidy's Ruby is the real Ruby and Genevieve Cortese's Ruby is a demon impersonating real Ruby, it's the only thing that makes sense!

I don't really plan on having any of the guys from BTVS/ATS feature much after this chapter. Hope I did their guest-spots justice.

Dean watched Ruby pull herself out of the manhole and tried to think of all the different ways this whole thing could have been part of some trick she was playing on him. Turning to look around the half deserted street he watched Buffy, Faith and Spike meet a diminutive red-head and elderly looking gentleman wearing a tweed jacket and glasses.

"Are you alright? I came instead of Andrew, he err said he didn't want to _smell_ you," Giles said in greeting.

"Right as rain! Whatever that means…" Buffy chirped.

The older man put his arm around Buffy and looked down at her with concern, "My Goodness, that Bashnin demon used your face as a paintbrush."

"Thanks Giles and he took my tooth with him to Hellsville as a souvenir, look!" Buffy said as she opened her mouth to show Giles.

The red-head accepted the amulet from Spike, "Holy Goddess it's Babylonian, I saw this in Wesley's Assyrian Texts!"

Spike gave Buffy and Faith a vindicated look as Giles turned towards the amulet, "I hope you're wrong Willow, it's a very bad sign if it is."

Buffy and Faith rolled their eyes and got in the back of the open truck, "Come on Giles, let's go, the stench of sewer and demon guts isn't getting any fresher!"

Giles handed Willow the amulet and gestured for Spike to get in the back as he walked round to the driver side.

Willow turned to get into the car but stopped suddenly and whirled around; Ruby grabbed Dean and uttered some spell as she shoved him down onto the tarmac. Willow's eyes searched intently for a few seconds as she muttered something. Dean grit his teeth and hands desperately clinging to the pavement, it felt like his body was being sucked towards the redhead. The only thing keeping him on the ground seemed to be Ruby.

"Come on Will! I'm stinky, hungry and horny and not in that order!" Faith called out.

Willow lingered for a second longer before getting into the single cabin truck. As fast as it had come, the feeling of being vacuum suctioned off the tarmac was gone, leaving Dean quivering on the road like Jell-O. Giles put the vehicle in gear then tore away from the curb, speeding down the street.

Dean looked at Ruby who was already sitting up and cursing in Gaelic under her breath; beads of sweat dotting her forehead and upper lip.

"What the fuck was that?"

"_That _was a witch… the most powerful single witch on Earth to be more precise," Ruby replied testily.

Dean's facial expression was decidedly hopeful, "Is she evil?"

"Only if you kill her girlfriend or try and kill Buffy," Ruby answered matter-of-factly.

Dean's face fell then a thought formed in his head and his eyes lit up, "Are all witches-"

"No. Some are bisexual." Ruby snapped. She lifted the amulet from around Dean's neck and tucked it into her pocket.

Getting to her feet she cracked the bones in her neck, "Come on let's go."

Dean got to his feet and followed her, the wheels in his head turning furiously. Tonight's events were a lot to process and he did not even have Sam there to sound off his thoughts on.

-----------xxx----------

"So the girl-"

"Whose body I jacked is like Buffy and Faith. She's a Slayer… or _was_ at any rate," Ruby supplied as she tucked into her potato wedges.

They were sitting in a diner that Dean's search on the internet when he had driven into town, claimed served the best steak in Ohio. Taking his first bite of the steak he was inclined to agree.

"Mmmm… this food!" Ruby gushed over a mouthful of potato.

Dean's eyes narrowed at her, "What do you mean _was_ and why aren't they looking for her?"

Ruby took a sip of Dean's beer then setting it down, started to cut up her steak.

"She was a Slayer now she's gone… the symbol I branded on my shoulder means no other demon can possess this body except maybe Lucifer, if he even truly exists. I snuck into this body after she came out comatose on the wrong side of a fight with a Lakshar demon. Her soul's not here anymore."

"And the symbol is to stop them from finding her body and her soul's what? Wondering around aimlessly in the ether," Dean said matter-of-factly.

"Dean Winchester, your concerns and heroic instincts are misplaced… but yeah that too. Hey at least I didn't send her to Hell."

Hazel-green eyes bore into hers, reflecting disgust.

"A Slayer is a girl who comes from a long line of chosen women and it's her destiny to fight vampires and all the other things that go bump in the night. Dying in the line of duty is what's killed every Slayer since the beginning of time." Ruby explained in between bites of food.

"How come I've never heard of them?"

"It's supposed to be a secret gig but seeing as you Winchesters were supposed to be some of the greatest hunters ever, I really am surprised that you don't know about them."

"So am I," Dean muttered.

Cutting and spearing a piece of steak on his fork he scowled inwardly, it felt very much like he was about to lose his appetite despite the quality of the food. He looked over at Ruby who was digging into the steak like a prisoner eating his last meal. He watched her as she sprinkled hot sauce on her steak and practically inhaled the rest of the food on her plate. Despite his ambivalence towards Ruby, the corners of his mouth turned up briefly, nothing like a hot girl with a healthy appetite. He wasn't sure about Buffy, but he would bet his bottom dollar Faith ate like a horse.

Slayers. Twenty-four hours ago he would have said it sounded like some comic-book fantasy dreamed up by geek-boys who were unhealthily attached to their mothers. Or a legend demons invented to scare their spawn into eating their human eyeballs or whatever. Then again, a year ago he would have scoffed at the suggestion that he would_ not_ kill a demon. Now he was sitting here with a demon from Hell, there to fight the good fight dressed in the hot body of a Slayer. Something wasn't right here. Maybe it was his brain.

Ruby put her fork and knife together on her empty plate and signalled the waiter, ordering a pitcher of beer and dessert. The waiter took her plate and gestured at Dean's half-eaten meal with ill-concealed disappointment. Dean wordlessly handed the waiter his plate and ordered another beer.

Turning back to Ruby he studied her quietly, they had gone to their respective motels, showered and changed after their impromptu trip to the sewers then Ruby had appeared dressed in all black, outside his motel suggesting they get something to eat. She had followed him in a beat up '86 Camaro.

Dean frowned in confusion, when had Ruby stopped being his enemy and started being someone he sought out and whose company he actually wanted?

"If you weren't going to Hell I'd tell you to stop frowning, it'll give you wrinkles," Ruby quipped drily.

Dean glared at her, "Who was the redhead and Mr. Belvedere?"

Ruby planted her palms on the red and white check tablecloth and sighed, "Willow Rosenberg and Mr. Rupert Giles."

"And the bleach blonde guy in the sewers is a vampire?"

"With a soul, yep."

"How does that work?"

"He took a world tour of places you never want to end up in, went through some pretty fucked up tests…survived, and got his soul back."

Dean scowled, "Why?"

"To make Buffy happy," Ruby said with a sardonic twist of her lips.

"Aren't vampires and Slayers sworn enemies?"

"Aren't hunters and demons?"

"So he wanted to make Buffy happy because…"

"They were doing the hokey-pokey after she came back all messed up. If you think her relationship with Spike is fucked up wait until you here about her one true love, Angel. Another vampire with a soul."

"Why is there more than one Slayer, I thought there is only supposed to be one?"

"Buffy decided to throw the rule-book away, got her friend Willow to work the mojo of the century and waken every potential Slayer around the world."

Dean eyed her suspiciously, "How do _you_ know all this?"

Ruby smirked mysteriously, "I had an eternal subscription to '_Hades Daily_' while I was in the Pit. I'm kidding… look Dean, I know what I know… now what do _you _want to know? I won't tell you anything you and Darling Sammy can't cross-check or reference."

"Don't call him that. And why not?"

Ruby shrugged, "You don't trust me because I'm a demon and Papa Winchester _trained_ his loyal attack dog _not_ to stop and _question_ anything… I get it. Every time I tell you something you are constantly questioning and doubting it because, well…like you said demons lie. We demons also tell the pure, unadulterated truth because we don't have a conscience or a reason to soften the blow."

Dean let her words sink in as the waiter brought Ruby's dessert; two banana split sundaes, one large slice of Key Lime pie, and a plate full of gooey chocolate fudge brownies. He retreated then came back with their beers, Ruby bestowing an incandescent smile on him before picking up her dessert fork and cutting into the Key Lime pie.

"So Dean, I resolved after our last confrontation that I'm going to try very hard not to upset the fragile balance you've achieved. I won't tell you just how much life is filled with grey areas because I need you fit and fighting evil in that way that you do… so Sam can be as strong and prepared as he can be for life without you."

Picking up her spoon she started on the first of the banana split sundaes, she pushed the other one towards him. Dean took it, surmising it was better to fill his mouth with food than let it empty anymore disturbing questions. Besides, his mouth had started watering as he watched her eat. Picking up his own spoon he dug into the sundae and tried desperately to remember the last time he had felt like a 'normal' person with 'normal' problems.

-------------xx--------

"Have you told Sam about the Slayers?"

Ruby wiped her mouth and threw the napkin on the table, leaning back she undid the top button of her jeans and gently burped into her hand. Looking up at Dean she smiled ironically.

"Now why would I do a thing like that?"

Dean felt the slight endorphin rush from all the sugar he had consumed dissipate, "What do you mean why would you, why _wouldn't_ you?"

Ruby shrugged, "Thanks to you Dean, Sam's alone in this fight for the long haul. The time for him to know about the Slayers is not a few months before the big brother that raised him checks out early on a Hades I.O.U."

Dean's fists clenched angrily on the table, "So _when_ is it a good time?"

"When he's ready. When _they_ are ready."

"You know Buffy was right, can't you demons just drop the cryptic and say what you mean?" Dean ground out through gritted teeth.

Ruby sat up and leaned closer, "Fine, dropping the cryptic... You and your brother _opened_ the Devil's Gate, pretty much the _opposite_ of what Buffy and her friends do. You also raised your brother from the dead in exchange for you going to Hell for all eternity, _despite_ the fact that your brother was rocketing straight for some shady destiny a _demon_ had for him. And _now_ you hang out _with_ a demon that got out during said Devil's Gate opening and _body-snatched_ one of their own. A half-a-sandwich-short-of-a-picnic basket, dabbler in the dark arts, one of their own, but one of them all the same. Anything in what I just said inspiring a bonding over the campfire while trading war-stories about fighting evil scenario here?"

Dean balked, "Why Ruby I had no idea you thought so little of Sam and I."

Ruby shook her head at him, "Let's get one thing straight here Winchester, I may be a demon but that doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about."

Dean shrugged in defeat, "No I guess not, do you think we can get the bill and get the Hell out of here?"

Ruby signalled the waiter and scribbled in the air to indicate she wanted the bill. He came over with a smile on his face, asking her how she enjoyed the dessert. Dean watched Ruby as she smiled brightly at the waiter and complimented the chef. He wondered if she was only sour-faced and bitchy with him. For some reason the thought made him uncomfortable. She had done a lot and continued to do a lot to make sure him and Sam kept breathing. Even if her motives were not completely selfless or altruistic, Dean knew that Sam at least would have someone aggressive and decisive enough to get the job done, while he roasted in Hell. A shudder ran through his body at that last thought.

"Come on Shortbus let's go."

"Don't call me that."

"If the shoe fits."

"That's a two-way street Princess."

Ruby let out a rich and surprisingly genuine chuckle, "I don't think anyone's _ever_ called me that!"

Dean stopped walking abruptly, "What's your point?"

Ruby shook her head as she pushed the door open and walked out into the crisp, chilly Cleveland air, "Nothing."

Hand on the small of her back, Dean steered her towards the Impala without thinking but then Ruby stopped and gave him an inscrutable look. His hand lingered until she stepped away from him.

"I've got an idea, why don't you go back to your motel… hit the books on the Willow Rosenbergs, Rupert Giles', William the Bloodys, Buffy Anne Summers', Faith Lehanes, Slayers and Hellmouths of the world for starters, and next time we chat you can tell me and Sam all about it?"

"I thought you said Sam wasn't ready to find out about them?" Dean said with a harangued expression on his face.

"So you agree, it's not the right time," Ruby said with a self-satisfied smirk.

Dean glared at her, "No, I don't, I think I should at least _introduce_ the idea to him, before… I go."

Ruby shrugged, "Okay, you know best… _for now_."

A muscle in Dean's jaw jumped, silently he prayed for strength.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to have myself a couple of drinks, beat some people at pool and maybe, just maybe get lucky tonight. I deserve it," Ruby said with a wink.

Dean watched her walk away his mind troubled, he could not believe he had been about to ask her to stay with him or worse he had been about to give her a ride in the Impala!

Angrily, he unlocked the Impala and sped all the way back to his motel. Two hours later, his head swimming with the surprising amount of facts he had uncovered about Slayers and Buffy and her friends, he got a call from Bobby.

"Got a lead on Bela."

"Where?"

"Nevada."

"I'll meet you two in Denver," Dean said then hung up.

Packing up all his research on Slayers, his laptop and duffel bag, Dean wondered how the demon in the Slayer meat-suit would react to the news that they had lost the Colt. Flashing back to all the altercations he had had with her, Dean suppressed a shudder. If Buffy and Faith's displays of strength were anything to go by, the demon had been holding out on them. Which only served to raise two issues, _why_ and didn't that just reinforce the whole, 'demons lie no matter what' philosophy?

Dean carried his duffel bag and laptop bag to the Impala.

Then why had Ruby shown him Buffy and Faith's world, when Dean could easily call them up and tell them where to find the demon that had stolen one of their sister Slayers' body was? And if Willow Rosenberg could turn all potential slayers into slayers, maybe, just maybe she could save Dean from the Pit right? What if she couldn't? Wouldn't that distress and scare Sam more than he already was? Could Dean do that to Sam? Could he do it to himself? And what if, the Slayers were looking for him and Sam because they had heard on the hunter-grapevine about the Devil's Gate? Could Dean risk exposing Sam to being on a Slayer's shitlist? Did John Winchester know about these girls? If he did, why the Hell didn't he ever say anything?

Slamming down the trunk lid, Dean walked up to the motel reception and returned the key. Heading back to the car, Dean shook off his myriad questions and sternly turned his mind back to the task at hand, Bobby had a lead on Bela, she had the Colt, Slayers, Hellmouths and Vampires with Souls would have to wait until after they caught her.

--------------------------------xxx----------


	7. Chapter 7

Title: **Catch Me When I Fall (7/?)**

Fandom: Supernatural/BTVS/ATS (it's not a crossover per se but I will borrow the mythology from M.E. and mention some characters)

Rating: M – changed to be on the safe side!

Setting: Post-Season 3 episode 12

Characters: Dean, Ruby & Sam

Pairings: Dean & Ruby

Word Count: 2,956

A/N: In my world Katie Cassidy's Ruby is the real Ruby and Genevieve Cortese's Ruby is a demon impersonating real Ruby, it's the only thing that makes sense!

Oh and I checked Katie Cassidy's eye-color on Wikipedia, its green. I think they look blue-green or basically do that thing that SMG's eyes do where depending on the color of clothing and lighting in a scene they look different. Or maybe it depends on what you've been smoking, I dunno.

* * *

Dean walked out of the motel room and headed for the park he had driven past with Sam while they cheered their victory in Bello. He remembered appreciating the park for being a place women and children could enjoy when he thought they had saved a real live virgin from being the sacrificial lamb. Boy had he been wrong.

Those deaths were on him. Sam had been ready to go with Ruby's crazy plan and Dean had vetoed it, due to some outdated moral compass his father had given him when he was an impressionable little boy. Daddy's Blunt Little Instrument! The accusatory mental headline screamed in his head. Dean ground his teeth as he stared at the deserted playground.

It was ironic how the place served as a metaphor for his life; the fun, love and innocence came and went leaving him alone, empty and pathetic. Useful only to provide something for people before they moved on to greener pastures, Dean thought morosely.

The scent of spicy roses permeated the air, when Dean turned to his left, Ruby sat down on the bench, occupying the empty space. Forcefully, he slammed the door on the hopeful yet unlikely thought that maybe it was a sign from above. What above? There was no above. God was most probably dead or on vacation.

"You here to personally rip me a new one?"

Ruby shrugged, "It's not my intention but I can't promise not to get carried away with the I-told-you-so's and the cuss words that are bubbling up inside me."

"Then why are you here? Shouldn't you be stalking Sam or tracking Lilith?"

Ruby smiled ironically, "I just wanted to enjoy the quiet."

Dean's lips twisted in an ironic grimace, "Awesome."

In a silence that started off as uncomfortable and stretched into companiable, the demon and the hunter sat on the playground bench until the sun set.

-----------------xxx-------------

"I told you so," Ruby sniped.

Dean nodded gesturing for her to go on, "What else?"

"They're all dead because of you."

"Come on Ruby you can do better than that or are you getting soft in your old age?"

"You always have to do it your way, you can never listen to the girl no wait… the _demon_ that knows what she's talking about!"

Dean clapped his hands together, "Now we're getting to the good stuff… _More_!"

"And you think it's all black and white but the world doesn't work like that, like this vessel for example… she was a Slayer but she dabbled in witchcraft, went all dark side and had a nice three year sojourn in a psych ward, I jumped into her body and did her a favor! I can use this body to do good, to help you and your brother but you still won't listen to me!"

"Oh yeah baby lay it on me!" Dean encouraged.

"You may be tough Dean but sometimes you think with your heart instead of your head, and we're in a war to the death dammit. You can't just fucking go around _losing_ the Colt! After all I've gone through to keep you numb-nuts safe, one bat of an English whore's eyelashes and you're losing unique, irreplaceable weapons!"

"Praise Jesus! Speak on it girl!" Dean said with a stomp of his feet.

Ruby opened her mouth to yell at him some more then suddenly the ridiculousness of the entire situation hit her. Dean turned to look at her expectantly. Her mouth opened and closed a few times like a fish out of water and then she started to laugh. Despite himself, Dean responded, his lips stretching into a smile and a chuckle rumbled deep from within his chest. Bringing her hands up to cover her face, Ruby let out a loud frustrated shriek into her palms then turned to face Dean, eyes twinkling.

"You're a jackass," she said with a grin.

"Well you're a Hoe-bag from Hell and I can't believe that was your best impression of being ticked fancy," Dean retorted with an irrepressible grin.

Ruby stood up, jaded slightly pissed off expression back in place.

"I don't know what that was, but I feel better… so thanks."

Dean shrugged, "Anytime."

Ruby strode away with a pep in her step.

-----------xxx----------

Dean walked into the motel room to find Sam pacing worriedly.

"Samantha stop, you're making me dizzy and I've only been here for 3 seconds," Dean joked.

Sam turned to face him, the relief obvious on his face, "Dean! Where the Hell have you been! You left your phone in the room."

"I know, I'm sorry, I just needed to get some air."

"Yeah Dude, that was five hours ago! I've been going crazy, I drove around in the Impala looking for you, tried calling Ruby but she wasn't picking up… I thought Lilith had found you."

Dean sat down on his bed and gave Sam a sheepish grin, "Like I said, sorry, I just needed some air."

Sam stopped in front of Dean and placed his hands on his hips, "Well why didn't you stay in here and talk to me about it… I'm freaking too."

Dean rolled his eyes and leaning back on the bed stretched his legs out, no wonder he was starting to feel the most comfortable around Ruby, the pressure to be carefree yet strong and dependable Dean was beginning to get to him.

"Sam I found something out in Cleveland, I've done some research but I think you should check it out," Dean spoke with his eyes closed.

"What is it? What did you find Dean?"

"Have you heard of The Slayer?"

Sam sat down on his bed and faced his brother, "The Slayer? Isn't that a band?"

Dean sat up, and started to untie his boots, "No Sammy, that's Slayer._ The_ Slayer is one girl that is chosen from all the people on the planet to fight demons and vampires."

Sam's eyebrows shot up incredulously, "She's the Chosen One? How old is she?"

Dean pursed his lips in annoyance, now that he had started the subject he really wanted his little brother to get on board so they could talk about how hot Faith and Buffy were; and also discuss how a girl destined to fight demons could fall in love with one, fully knowing what it was.

"Okay, I'm going to take a shower… read these articles I've downloaded off the net, and check out some of the newspaper printouts too, let me know what you think."

Dean unearthed his research papers from his duffel bag and passed them to Sam. The folder was quite thick, containing all his research material on Buffy, Faith, the history of the Slayer, the Watcher's Council, Wolfram & Hart, Sunnydale, William the Bloody a.k.a Spike, and Hellmouths. Pulling out his new, very stylish toiletry bag that housed the nicest smelling bath and hygiene products his fraudulent credit card had bought him, Dean retreated to the bathroom to take a shower.

Sam watched his brother go and frowned in puzzlement, his childhood hero was definitely not handling the blast in Bello well, and maybe he was being paranoid but it felt a little like Dean was trying to get away from him. Shaking his head guiltily, Sam started to read the literature Dean had given him on the Slayers.

------------xxx-----------

"So according to one of Dad's California sources, Sunnydale was a town built by some demon so that other demons could feed on humans."

"Like a 24-hour, 365 days a year, 7-Eleven for Hell spawn," Dean said with amazement.

They were lying in their twin beds in the dark, discussing Buffy, Faith and all the people in their lives that had been written about.

"Exactly, and the more I've read on them, the more I'm convinced they can't be real," Sam said in a perturbed voice.

Dean frowned up at the ceiling in the dark, "Why's that?"

"Dean, why wouldn't Dad ever have mentioned them? Or gone to help them?"

"Maybe because they are supposed to be a well-kept secret and if these girls are designed as like some kind of super-soldier to fight evil, he wouldn't have wanted to cramp their style?"

Sam sighed, "Yeah I guess, but he could still have told us about them… there's a Watcher's Council in England and they're supposed to have the most comprehensive library on everything supernatural. I'd love to spend one night there."

Dean snorted, "Oh Samantha, you hear that there's a school of superhot super-chicks that fight evil in America and you wanna go spend time with their wrinkly old mentors in a dusty library in England? What am I gonna do about you?"

"Shut up Dean," Sam said with a smile in his voice.

Dean chuckled, "How are you not gay?"

"God didn't want the Winchesters having all the hot men and women ready to worship at their feet, gets in the way of kicking evil-ass." Sam quipped.

Dean snorted then shrugged again, "I guess so."

"Good night Dean."

"Night Sam… and do me a favour, please, please, _please_ don't dream about wrinkly old British men and their libraries. Dream about the secret school for Slayers and all the hot-over 18 slayerettes. Buffy, Faith and the witch are mine though!"

Sam rolled his eyes in the dark and turned over on his side.

"Sammy!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, okay!" Sam grunted in exasperation.

Dean grinned up at the ceiling and turned over on his side too. He prayed he dreamt of a ménage a whatever with the Slayer and her girlfriends, the other alternative involved him in demon form and he could not face another dream like that right now.

------xx-----xx----

Two Weeks Later

Ruby watched Dean stumble out of the Irish girl's apartment and smiled to herself. She had done good, steering the fiery exchange student into Dean's path last night. The hunter had not even noticed her as she directed the petite spitfire in his path before she disappeared into the night. The self-satisfied smirk on his face told her they must have had a very good time together.

Dean walked to the Impala and stuck his keys in the door, his eyes caught Ruby's reflection and his cheerful grin died on his lips. Turning around he glared at her.

"What are you looking at bitch?"

Ruby detached herself from the dark corner and stalked over to him.

"Top o' the mornin' to you too Fuckhead."

"Oh baby I love it when you whisper sweet nothings in my ear."

Ruby stopped a few inches away from him, "Come closer, I've got more where that came from."

Dean scowled, "I'm sure you do, but I gotta go get Sam."

"You afraid the twenty-four year old grown ass man will play with matches if Big Brother Dean isn't there to hold his hand?"

"Is your wiring more fucked up than usual or do you not realize you're trailing the wrong Winchester again?"

Ruby's hands reached up and turned down the lapels of Dean's leather jacket, smoothing her hands across his shoulders she smiled at him saccharinely.

"I was just making sure you and Roisin got along okay last night."

Dean's eyes flared with suspicious anger, "How'd you know her name?"

Ruby's hands fell away from his shoulders and she crossed her arms, "I was at the bar last night, told her you were my American cousin who's getting over a bad breakup with an English girl and in need of a good time."

"And why would you do that?"

Ruby shrugged as she started to walk away, "You looked like you needed it."

"Ruby!"

She walked faster, "You're welcome!"

Dean pulled his keys out of the car door and turned around to go after her but she had disappeared. Hands bunched into fists, he cursed the demon with every dirty word he knew. Unlocking the car door he slammed into the Impala, knuckles white on the steering wheel as he realised that after the night he had had, he was indebted to the meddlesome infuriating little bitch. Also, he felt decidedly cheap at the idea that she had facilitated one of the greatest nights of sex he had ever had. With another heartfelt curse he started the car, he was going to get Sam and they were getting the Hell out of Boston. Stupid bitch Ruby had ruined the afterglow!

-----xxx------xxx------

Sam glanced over at Dean with ill-concealed concern. They had been driving for twelve hours and his brother had been tight-lipped and cranky the whole way. An educated guess told Sam it had to do with a woman.

"What is it Sam?"

"Nothing."

"You're sure not looking at me like its nothing."

"I'm just worried that's all."

"About what?"

"You, Dean. You've been pissed off and sulky all day."

Dean gave a long-suffering sigh, "Sorry."

"I don't want your apology, Dean, I want an explanation," Sam said patiently.

"An explanation about what?"

"About what's got you in such a foul mood, when you didn't come back to the motel last night I figured you were with a girl."

"I was with a girl."

"So then what happened?"

"Nothing happened!" Dean practically bellowed.

Sam's eyebrows shot up and Dean tossed an irritated gaze at Sam. He clenched the wheel, hands flexing then relaxing before he tried speaking again.

"The girl I took home was great, she was feisty, funny as Hell and she used to be a gymnast, so she could bend like a pretzel… I mean this one position we did it in, she had her legs behind her head-"

Sam raised his hand weakly in protest, "I think I got it… all of it… so, if you and Miss Emerald Isle had so much fun what happened this morning?"

Dean smiled mysteriously, "She woke me up with a morning glory that's what happened this morning."

Sam shook his head, "After you guys did the horizontal pretzel for the-"

"Eighth time in five hours."

"Thank you. So after all that, what happened?"

Dean's smile dimmed visibly, "I bumped into Ruby."

"Ruby?"

"Did I stutter?"

"No… I thought I heard wrong. How do you _bump_ into Ruby? Doesn't she usually appear and disappear without warning?"

Dean rolled his eyes, "Exactly."

"So what was she doing there?"

"Lurking… as usual, being a _pain in my ass_… as usual!" 'Pimping me out to her fellow country women out of misplaced demon-pity, not so usual!' Dean thought darkly.

Sam bit back a smile, if he did not know his brother any better he would have sworn that the blonde demon had worked her way under his skin. She _was_ possessing an attractive, young and supple-skinned blonde after all.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, I just think if you stopped actively _hating_ her so much, you'd find that you guys have some things in common and you might like her."

Dean slammed on the brakes, "I don't actively hate her because that would mean I think about her a lot and I don't think about her for an extra second more than I have to. And I definitely _don't_ have _anything_ in common with that Hell Skank!"

The Impala was steered off the side of the road, engine still running.

Sam gave him an arch look, "That's why you've spent the last twelve hours in a foul mood? 'Cause you don't think about her an extra second longer than you have to?"

"What are you trying to say Sam?"

"Nothing… I'm just _suggesting_ that you lighten up a little. I know you hate Ruby's guts but maybe if you took a second not to dislike her so much because of what she is…you'd find that she's not all bad. You would find that you don't have to be so worried that leaving me here alone with her means impending doom. It would be nice actually _not_ to feel like shit if I ever find myself relaxing in her presence because-"

Dean turned to glare at Sam with barely restrained fury, "I should hope you're not thinking of _relaxing_ around her, she's a fucking _demon _Sam and she used to be a _witch_ too, how many more signs do you need to tell you _not_ to trust her!"

"Dean… I had powers that Yellow Eyes wanted to exploit, powers that meant I was not all human, and I know you don't want to hear this but it's true. I was dead and you brought me back, I haven't really felt them since then but… You're so _judgmental_ about this stuff that I feel like I can't-"

"What? You feel like you can't what Sam! _Trust_ me!"

"No! Of _course_ not!"

"Then what Sam? _What_ is it that I _don't_ do, that fucking Ruby the Friendly Demon does?"

"She doesn't _judge me_ Dean. She just listens… tries to understand. And yeah, she's a demon, she's evil, but she's also saved our asses-let me finish- she's saved our asses a number of times. She's been helping us, she's been teaching me and she listens sometimes, just listens… without getting on her high horse!"

Dean felt anger so black and overpowering; he thought he would shatter into a million pieces of boiling hot lava. Motor still running, he stared out into the inky darkness and counted to twenty in his head. Sam wisely kept his mouth shut, the anger and bravado to speak uncomfortable truths seeping out of him.

Blazing green gaze avoiding Sam, Dean shifted the Impala into gear then guided it back on the road. Shifting gears he stepped on the accelerator and pushing a Metallica tape into the deck, turned the volume up, preventing anymore conversation. Sam looked away with a glint of moisture in his eyes. Why did their lives have to be so hard?

-----xxx------


	8. Chapter 8

Title: **Catch Me When I Fall (8/?)**

Fandom: Supernatural/BTVS/ATS (it's not a crossover per se but I will borrow the mythology from M.E. and mention some characters)

Rating: M – changed to be on the safe side!

Setting: Post-Season 3 episode 12

Characters: Dean, Ruby & Sam

Pairings: Dean & Ruby

Word Count: 3,064

A/N: So this chapter was totally inspired by **BTVS** Season 6's episode '_**Smashed**_'. I haven't seen that episode in at least five years so I hope I didn't copy too much from it. Nothing like sexual attraction and violence to work some issues out, I say!

They stopped in Lynchburg, Virginia, checking into the Old Virginia Motel. Dean had wordlessly shut himself in the bathroom, taking so long in the shower that Sam had left the motel to get them some dinner and come back.

Dean stepped out of the fragrant steaming bathroom, wearing black cotton boxers and his towel hanging loosely around his neck.

Sam looked up at him with his best woeful puppy dog look and Dean glared at him balefully for half a second before breaking out into a rueful grin. Sam let out an inaudible sigh of relief.

"Hope you didn't forget my pie, Samantha!"

Sam grinned back, "Of course I didn't Dean, when have I ever forgotten your pie?"

Dean picked up his bag of take-out and reclining on his bed, shrugged as he pulled out the extra greasy cheeseburger and bit into it eagerly.

----xxx-----

"So what exactly has _Ruby_ been teaching you?" Dean asked casually, he was clearing the debris from their meal, tossing it all in the trashcan.

Sam's shoulders tensed, "How to hunt and finish the job solo, mostly."

"You already know how to do that," Dean started to pull his jeans on, eye narrowing slightly as he studied his little brother.

Sam looked at Dean guiltily, "Not very well I don't. I've always had you or Dad, if I face something big on my own when you're gone, I don't think-"

"Well that's a load of _bullshit_, but if Ruby's got you believing that and you're happy with it then believe it."

"I'm not happy with it Dean but I don't have a choice right now, you're leaving and I have to learn to hunt in a way that's outside my comfort zone." Sam implored his brother to understand.

Dean shrugged into his army green jacket, "Okay, I'm going to get drunk. Don't wait up."

"No, wait we need to talk about this-"

Dean cut him off with a mirthless chuckle, shaking his head as he picked up the keys to the Impala then strode out of the motel room; he shut the door with a well-restrained click.

Throwing his hands up in despair, Sam fell back on the bed and let out a frustrated groan. The last thing he had wanted to do was drive his brother away, but that's exactly what he had done. 'Nice going Sammy!' He chided himself. With a sigh he got up and decided to take a shower before bed.

--------xxx--------

Dean sped down the highway as Ozzy Osbourne when he was still with Black Sabbath, sang 'Crazy Train'. He had left the Lynchburg city limits behind him twenty minutes ago and he had no idea where he was headed. He just knew he had to get as far away from Sam and all the issues that hung unresolved between them for a while. He tried not to but his mind kept replaying Sam's words about him being judgmental and Ruby being more understanding and accepting. His little brother had not just compared him to a demon and found him lacking had he? And Ruby! The fucking little bitch was manipulating both of them so well that Dean had forgotten to be concerned about any alone time those two spent together. Dean thought back to the night he had seen Ruby naked and vulnerable and he felt his gut clench in fury. He had been played! Looked like he should be more worried about the alone time _he_ had been spending with Ruby!

His hands tightened around the wheel, this was all her fault! He floored the Impala, relishing in the power and speed moving beneath him then the Impala stuttered then stopped suddenly.

"Oh no, no, no baby, _come on_! We were just getting our first wind!" Dean protested as he tried to coax the car to move again.

Dean felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and raised his eyes up to the road. Ruby! The demon was standing there in the middle of road, arms crossed and hip jutted out like a supermodel posing for a picture. Without thinking Dean practically kicked the door open and stalked over to the all-too confident demon.

Ruby watched Dean approach her and felt her pulse jump in anticipation. The hunter looked positively feral as he strode towards her with a deadly fire burning in his eyes. They were so green they were almost black. Her lips stretched into an ironic smile as she realized how he would react if she told him that.

"Wipe that smirk off your face bitch or I'll wipe it off for you!" Dean growled.

Ruby let her limbs hang loosely at her sides as she returned Dean's glare, "I'd like to see you try."

Dean's right fist flew out of nowhere and knocked Ruby flat on her ass. Ruby blinked slightly dazed by the power and fury behind the blow. She tasted blood on her cut lip and smirked. Dean reached down, hands on her coat lapels as he hauled her to her feet. Ruby brought her arms up and pushed them outwards breaking the contact.

"I don't think so Winchester. You wanna piece of me, you're gonna have to work for it!" She taunted as she broke off into a run.

Dean cursed under his breath as he gave chase, the bitch was fast! Must be the Slayer body she had jacked!

Ruby veered off the highway suddenly and jumped over the rusted barb wire fence that bordered the fallow field. Dean followed closely at her heels, regaining some lost ground before he lost her again. He was so angry he did not even notice the almost complete darkness of the field or the uneven ground he was running on.

Ruby felt her body unfold like the petals of a flower in the sunlight as she lengthened her strides and ran in a zig-zag pattern. The thrill of the chase was unfurling in her blood like an ancient drumbeat as she truly felt alive for the first time since she had come back from Hell. She let out a tinkling laugh, not even bothering to look behind her. She could feel Dean behind her, a combination of Slayer senses and her own powers. Up ahead she saw an abandoned barn, with one solitary grimy light bulb. It was filled with all kinds of junk cars. Eyes lighting up, Ruby ran into the structure, shimmying up the ladder to the second floor. When she got to the top she kicked the ladder away and stood proudly, gasping for breath as she searched for Dean. Adrenaline rushed through her body when she saw him standing in the barn entrance, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath and glare at her threateningly at the same time.

"Not bad, Shorty."

"I'm taller than you, demon cocksucker!" Dean retorted.

Ruby's eyebrow went up and she grinned, "Shorty as in Shortbus… Shortbus."

Dean straightened up and started walking around the junkyard, spying the wooden ladder he lifted it up and smashed it into two pieces. Grinning up at Ruby evilly he dusted his hands and gave her a challenging look.

"I can just jump down."

"Prove it."

"I don't have to prove anything to you."

"No, you don't have to… but you want to," Dean parried cockily.

He sat on the hood of a rusted 1945 Ford truck and watched Ruby with twinkling eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Dean casually picked up an abandoned tire iron and started to flip it expertly with one hand.

"You wanna play games Sweetheart, let's play… I get under your skin. Make you feel like you've gotta prove to me and the world that you're different, you're one of the good guys."

Despite herself, Ruby felt her defences rise, "I am."

Dean stopped flipping the tire-iron and pointed it at her, "You are a fucking liar who lies. What you've done to the poor Slayer whose body you jacked is wrong. Her family, friends, loved ones don't deserve to bump into you wearing her meat."

"Just like Meg's family don't deserve to know about all the wonderfully creative and painful ways you tortured the demon out of her." Ruby threw back.

Dean considered that for a second then nodded in agreement, "True."

Ruby sat down on the ledge, letting her legs hang out in the open air and swung them lightly, "Are you still jonesing to kick my ass?"

"Thoroughly… maybe send your ass back to Hell if I feel like it."

"And what about poor Sammy?"

Dean jumped off the hood of the car, anger coming off him in sparks, "I told you not to call him that!"

Ruby raised her hands in a placatory gesture, "Okay, sorry Touchy! Are you on your period or did you and _Sam_ have a lovers spat?"

Dean started to pace, tire-iron swinging expertly and dangerously in his hand, "Where do you get off taking my little brother for secret lessons in God knows what!"

Ruby sighed, "Ahh… I see, you and Samantha broke up again. You two need to get it together, you're worse than Ross and Rachel."

Dean stopped pacing and glared up at her, "Why don't you come down from your hidey hole, demon cunt."

Ruby's eyes flashed to black, "What did you call me?"

"You heard me."

Ruby's hands bunched into fists and the playful air between them chilled to sub-zero temperatures.

Dean smirked, "Now there's my Ruby. Why don't you come down here and tell me again how you're one of the good guys and jacking a Slayer's body is for the good of all mankind? Wait, maybe you can feed me all that bullshit about how you remember what it was like to be human and how you want to help me and my brother because you like Hell just the way it is."

Ruby jumped straight onto the packed-dirt floor, walking purposefully towards Dean.

"Say please."

"Not on your worthless life." Dean ground out, hand gripping the tire-iron firmly.

Ruby, eyes still black detected the movement and drew closer to him. Dean's left hand shot out and slapped her soundly. She reached up and grabbed his left hand while his right brought the tire-iron crashing across her face. Blood spurted from her nose as Ruby gripped his right hand too, pushing his arms apart she head-butted him soundly. Then brought her knee up; the joint connecting with his diaphragm repetitively in painful, sharp movements. Dean freed his hands and grabbing her by the lapels threw her up against the Ford truck before dragging her off it and tossing her as hard as he could against a beat-up Dodge truck. Ruby crumpled to the ground and Dean approached her, she swept his feet from under him and kneeling over him punched him so hard his jaw rattled. His hand shot up and wrapped around her throat squeezing it painfully. She let out a gargled yelp, scratching her nails down the right side of his face. He did not let go of her throat as he cuffed her with his left elbow, shoving her off him. Ruby scrabbled backwards on the oil-stained dirt as Dean picked up his tire-iron and letting out a guttural cry smashed it across her face. Ruby blocked the next blow with her left arm, screaming in pain as the metal connected with bone. The force of her block sent shockwaves up Dean's arm and he dropped the tire-iron. Ruby kicked him in the face, a nauseating crunch registering in Dean's ears as the blow forced him backwards. Jumping to her feet she grabbed the lapels of his jacket and threw him onto the hood of the Ford truck. Vaulting onto the hood she punched him. Her next fist connected with the windshield cracking the glass as Dean moved out of the way. Grabbing the back of her neck he sent her head through the cracked windshield shattering the glass. Ruby reared back, the back of her skull connecting with Dean's chin, forcing him to release her as he fell off the truck, blood spurting from his nose and lower lip where his teeth had bitten down. She followed him, kicking his head as hard as she could. Dean caught her foot in his hands and twisted the ankle hard. She groaned in pain as the joint twisted, falling to her knees.

Her eyes changed back to green as a solitary tear trickled down her bloodied face.

"Tell me when it hurts," Dean gasped.

Ruby's lips flattened into a grim line as she leaned over him and grabbed his balls in her left hand.

"Ditto," she said through gritted teeth.

Dean's back arched as she twisted her hand viciously, he grabbed some loose dirt and flung it in her eyes. She hissed in pain, releasing him. Dean staggered to his feet and dragging her by the hair threw her out of the barn. Her palms were cut and abraded by the rough soil as she put her hands out to gain some traction and stop her skid. Dean straddled her torso and leaning down, spat in her face. Ruby howled in outrage, uttering a spell that had Dean flying in the air and hitting the barn door with a sickening thud. Wiping her face and blinking the dirt away she limped over to his prostate form. Dean looked up at her with murder in his eyes.

"That's cheating. Shoulda known you never play fair."

Ruby shrugged and held out her hand to help him up, "You pissed me off."

Standing unsteadily, Dean eyed her warily as they both breathed heavily, sharing the same air. He brought his hands up her arms and rested them on her shoulders, then with a regretful twist of his lips he pulled her jean jacket down her arms and tied the sleeves around her back. Hand around her neck he dragged her back into the barn and threw her in the back of the Ford truck. Jumping in after her, Ruby laughed at his look of surprise when she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him down on top of her. Rolling over in one fluid move she was straddling him.

"This isn't about Sam or you going to Hell is it Shorty?"

Dean's right hand fumbled around until he was gripping one of the wooden planks that formed the crate of the truck and he wrenched it off.

"No not really. It's about you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, I don't need nor want your pity and I can get my own women thank you very much!"

Ruby gave him a warning look but he ignored it, clocking her on the side of the head with it. When she fell sideways, legs still wrapped around him they fell out of the truck together landing on the glass-littered ground, they lay there gasping, the wind knocked out of them.

Dean immediately rolled on top of her and stared into her battered face. One eye was rapidly swelling shut and she looked up at him with her good eye. Suddenly something inside him shifted and before he knew what he was doing he was leaning down to kiss her. Ruby instinctively kissed him back, wriggling around as she tried to free her hands. The movements only served to inflame Dean further and he was pulling her up so he could help her out of her makeshift restraints.

The kiss started off brutal and sloppy, they both had split lips and Ruby's were coated with a layer of dirt. By the time her hands were freed the kiss had evolved into something so sensual she wanted to cry from the sheer pleasure of it. She felt the clear sign of Dean's arousal branding her hip and gathered his bloodied, torn and dirt-smudged jacket in her equally torn and bloodied palms. She let out a guttural moan, if her blood had been singing before with the song of life it was positively vibrating now. Ruby felt like she was both drunk and high off the feeling of Dean's well-muscled body under and around her. The light-headed euphoria only clearing when she felt his hands at her belt buckle, Ruby looked into his eyes and saw the desperate need burning in the emerald depths. She realised she could not let him do this. He would loathe himself in the morning, and so would she. This was not what he really wanted. Her eyes changed to black and she lamented how quickly they had the desired effect, his hands freezing mid-motion.

Her eyes changed back to blue-green and she leaned in kissing him once before pulling away regretfully. Ruby had to order her hands to let go of his coat. Dean just remained there frozen, staring at her in confusion.

"Come on let's get out of here, we've caused so much damage and made so much noise I'm sure someone's coming." Ruby said in a husky, passion-tinged voice.

She stood up and took a few steps away from him, picking up her jean jacket she shook off fragments of glass before putting it back on. Dean looked around the barn and for the first time appreciated the damage they had caused. There was broken glass, splintered wood and Dean and Ruby shaped dents in the three cars that had gotten in the way of their fight. He got to his feet dazedly and looked at Ruby; she was wiping the blood trickling out of her nose with her sleeve. Letting her arm drop she rolled her eyes at him with impatience.

"Let's go!"

Her tone kindled an ember of the dying anger in him and with a set to his shoulders Dean strode out of the barn, Ruby limping behind him with equally grim determination.

-------xxx--------

They got back onto the highway and traded shocked looks to see the Impala still sitting on the road. Dean jogged over to the car, a quick cursory check telling him nobody had touched or violated his baby. He turned to look at Ruby who stood back, looking uncomfortable.

"Come on, I'll give you a ride back into Lynchburg."

Ruby gave him a dubious look and Dean felt his irritation grow, "I'll bathe her in holy water and wax her with rock salt after, now get in!"

Ruby shrugged and limped to the passenger seat, Dean quashed the stab of guilt he felt at seeing her limp.

Starting the ignition, Dean reversed the Impala in a 180' turn and drove back towards Lynchburg. Firmly slamming the door on any mental wanderings about what had transpired and what had almost transpired in that barn, he turned up the Black Sabbath and did his best to ignore the demon riding shotgun with him.

------------xxx---------


	9. Chapter 9

Title: **Catch Me When I Fall (9/?)**

Fandom: Supernatural/BTVS/ATS (it's not a crossover per se but I will borrow the mythology from M.E. and mention some characters)

Rating: M – changed to be on the safe side!

Setting: Post-Season 3 episode 12

Characters: Dean, Ruby & Sam

Pairings: Dean & Ruby

Word Count: 1,220

A/N: So this chapter was also totally inspired by **BTVS** Season 6's episode '_**Smashed**_'. Nothing like sexual attraction and violence to work some issues out, I say!

"Where's your first aid kit?" Ruby asked sharply.

Dean looked over at her and did a double-take; her right eye was swollen shut and her nose and lips were swollen, bloody and dirt-encrusted. There was evidence of the solitary tear she had shed in the barn as it was the only clean strip of skin on her face. There were also a multitude of tiny and not so tiny little cuts from when her face had come into contact with the windshield.

"Don't feel too sorry for me, you should see your own face too." Ruby snapped.

Dean looked at his face in his side-view mirror and raised a surprised eyebrow. His own lips were split and swollen, his nose bloody and puffy, definitely broken! His jaw was a patchwork of bruises and his left eye bore the very clear stamp of Ruby's fist. He also had a cut across the top of his right ear; it would definitely need stitches.

"Ahem… where is your first aid kit?"

Dean scowled at his reflection, turning to glower at her, "It's under the seat!"

"Okay! Thank you! Now pull over here, this is my motel, we'll get you cleaned up and then you can go back to the missus."

Dean clenched his jaw and pulled into the motel parking lot with a squeal of tires. Ruby threw him a caustic glare.

"Don't look at me like that Cyclops."

She shoved the door open, slamming it emphatically as she strode up to her motel room door. Dean winced at the rough treatment of the Impala. Ruby was a Grade A heartless demon. His body protested painfully as he stepped out of the car and after locking it, followed Ruby into her motel room.

-xxx-

"Sit still!" Ruby hissed irritably.

"My body fucking hurts after you used it to panel-beat a truck!"

They were both comfortably buzzed after drinking half a bottle of whiskey while using the other half for treatment. Ruby had used it to clean the cuts and scrapes on her palms before helping Dean.

"Whose fault is that?"

Ruby was binding Dean's ribs, after she had rubbed her nasty smelling ointment on them. Two were definitely cracked. She had already set his broken nose back in place and stitched his ear, when he had gone to wash the dirt and broken glass off his face and upper body he had come back complaining about his ribs so she had insisted on him taking his shirt off so she could take a look.

Tucking in the last end of her ripped top sheet she thrust his shirt in his hands and turned away, stripping her dirt caked and ripped dark green t-shirt off as she headed for the bathroom. She slammed the door shut and Dean heard shower water running. Now why hadn't he thought of that?

-xxx-

"You're still here." Ruby observed.

"Now who is Miss States the Obvious? Thought you could use my help getting some of that windshield out of your skull."

"It would have been a whole lot more helpful if you hadn't put my head through it in the first place."

Dean smirked, "Now where's the fun in that?"

Ruby limped over to the scarred table he was seated at, "Windshield head can wait, relocate my ankle first."

Dean patted his lap and Ruby sat down in the chair across from him, lifting her leg onto his lap, he looked up into her eyes, large capable hands resting on either side of her injured foot.

"On three, ready?"

Ruby nodded and Dean twisted it, she muffled a shriek of pain, closing her eyes momentarily.

When she opened them she gave him a begrudging smile of gratitude, "Where did you learn to count?"

"I didn't."

"I can tell."

Dean grinned, picking up a strip of her cover sheet and wrapping it expertly around her ankle. Ruby did not have the strength to remind him he should have rubbed her ointment on it first. She could do it herself in the morning.

"Okay do my head then get the Hell out of my room." Ruby said briskly.

"Do your head… that's a little too Clockwork Orange for me." Dean joked.

Ruby gave him an incredulous look. Dean sighed, then gently set her foot down and rising stiffly out of the chair, picked up the tweezers and started to pick out the embedded bits of glass out of her skull.

"So when you were fighting me was that at full Slayer strength?" Dean asked conversationally.

"Not even close Sho- uh- Shithead."

Dean bit back a chuckle, "The only word with an 's' you could think of calling me that wasn't a variation of Shortbus is Shithead?"

"Yeah, and?"

"Nothing sweetheart," Dean snorted.

Ruby rolled her eyes, but inside she felt a spark of warmth at his unconscious use of the endearment.

Dean dropped the eighth piece of glass he had found in the ashtray and winced inwardly. He couldn't believe he had done all that and hadn't killed her.

"So why didn't you use full Slayer strength or more magic?" Dean asked finally, his hands gently probing her skull for anymore shards of glass.

Ruby rigidly stopped herself from purring at the soothing contact, "The point of the exercise wasn't to kill you or maim you, it was to teach you a lesson."

"What lesson was that?"

"Lifetime fighting demons or not, you are physically no match for me."

"Oh you wanna go again Barbie?" Dean growled in mock threat.

Ruby swatted his hands away and turned to look up at him, "Please, don't embarrass yourself."

"Too late," the words came out tormented, seeping out of the cracked foundations of his self-control.

Ruby turned away from him and stood up, tightening the sash around her bathrobe she kept the majority of her weight on her good ankle. Dean silently handed her a gel ice-pack and she pressed it to her swollen eye.

"I better go, you can take care of the rest yourself."

Ruby nodded, "Sorry I didn't have anymore whiskey."

Dean shrugged his army jacket on, and gave her a small smile, "Yeah, I can barely feel that half-bottle we drank."

He walked up to the door and then stopped turning around to face her, "Why did you-"

"Stop us from getting pelvic?"

"Yeah."

"'Cause getting shards of glass out of my back would have ruined my night."

Dean opened his mouth to speak then shut it again.

"And also, it's not what you needed."

Dean frowned in puzzlement, "And what did I need?"

Ruby wanted to say a friend but was too scared to be rejected by him, "An outlet for your rage and your pain."

He looked at her in rare vulnerability before the wall came back up, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

He opened the door and this time he did not look back. If he had, he would have seen the fierce longing blazing in Ruby's eyes.

-xxx-

Dean crept into his motel room and looked brokenly at Sam's sleeping form. Stripping down to his boxers he crept into his bed and wondered how he had gotten to a place where he nearly knowingly had sex with the very thing he had sold his soul to fight until his dying day.

-xxx-


End file.
